‘Black Day for Russia’ – Ukraine Crushes Moscow Offensive in Kursk, Destroying Battalion and Over 200 Soldiers

Ukraine’s Defense Forces repelled a powerful Russian offensive in the Kursk region and destroyed a battalion of Russian soldiers, reported press officer of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Anastasia Blyshchyk, during the national TV marathon on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

“Yesterday was truly a black day for the Russian occupiers who tried to storm in five to six waves,” said Blyshchyk, adding that “the Russians tried to attack with vehicles, with paratroopers, and storm Ukrainian settlements. However, ten units of armored vehicles were destroyed by the warriors of the 47th Brigade.”

Three enemy BTRs were blown up by mines, while the rest of the equipment was destroyed using FPV drones and Stugna anti-tank systems.

“Other armored vehicles were destroyed by our adjacent units... A group of invaders was also liquidated, and those who survived scattered through the fields,” added the press officer.

According to Blyshchyk, the overall situation in the area is difficult but under control.

As Bild analyst Julian Röpke writes, Russian forces are carrying out a large-scale offensive operation in the Kursk region to push Ukrainian forces back, but they are suffering enormous losses.

Analyzing the situation after three days of intense Russian counterattacks in the Kursk region, Röpke said that Russian forces had lost 28 units of armored vehicles, mostly modern BTR-82As, and over 200 soldiers killed or wounded. He said that this is a catastrophe for Putin and his generals.

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On Nov 10, The New York Times reported that Russian and North Korean forces are preparing to launch an assault on Ukrainian positions in the Kursk direction, and the number of soldiers involved in the offensive could reach 50,000.

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday evening, Ukraine’s Defense Forces are holding back 50,000 Russian soldiers in the Kursk direction, preventing them from fighting on Ukrainian territory.

In August 2024, Ukrainian forces began offensive operations in the Kursk region, which is strategically important for Russia due to its proximity to the Ukrainian border and oil and gas resources. The operation was part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening Russian defense in the border areas and reducing the capacity for further attacks on Ukrainian territory.

On Monday, Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) announced a successful behind-the-lines operation in Russia’s Kursk region that resulted in 14 Russian servicemen being killed and three others taken prisoner.

“All those who made the right decision to surrender were provided first aid and evacuated to safety,” the SSO said.

Speaking anonymously to Kyiv Post, a Ukrainian military officer highlighted the use of advanced equipment by the Special Forces team during the mission, including camouflage suits, night vision and illumination sights, collimator sights on their assault rifles, and drone reconnaissance from within enemy territory.

As previously reported by Kyiv Post, Ukrainian operations in the Kursk region over the past three months have reportedly cost Russia over 20,000 personnel, with 7,905 killed, 12,220 wounded, and more than 700 captured.

Ukraine’s Support Forces Command also announced that in October alone, Russian forces in the Kursk region reportedly lost 20 military vehicles due to Ukrainian-laid minefields.