Russia Claims Control Over Kurakhove, Ukraine Denies Loss While Countering in Kursk

Russian authorities announced that they had fully taken control of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) deny loss of the town, reporting ongoing battles in the city and 27 repelled attacks.

On Monday, Jan. 6, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian army allegedly established control “over this important logistics hub,” which “significantly complicated the rear and technical support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine group in the Donetsk sector.”

The statement also mentioned that 26 AFU battalions, totaling over 15,000 soldiers, had defended Kurakhove. Moscow’s Ministry of Defense added that Ukraine allegedly lost 80% of its personnel during the battles for Kurakhove — over 12,000 people — as well as about 3,000 units of “various weapons and military equipment,” including 40 tanks and other armored combat vehicles.

Russian public accounts have intensively supported its Defense Ministry’s statements by posting footage allegedly showing Russian troops tearing down Ukrainian flags in the center of Kurakhove.

Kyiv Post reached out to its military sources for comment, but the Ukrainian military officials have not yet confirmed the loss of Kurakhove.

However, AFU’s Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces reports that “the enemy is carrying out assault actions in the urban areas of Kurakhove, toward Petropavlivka and Dachne.”

Other Topics of Interest

Ukrainian F-16 Pilot Shoots Down 6 Russian Cruise Missiles in Single Sortie

A Ukrainian Air Force spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that one of its F-16 pilots had shot down the missiles during the massive Dec. 13 Russian missile attack.

“Efforts are ongoing to detect and eliminate enemy assault groups attempting to infiltrate our combat formations,” added the report on Telegram.

According to the AFU General Staff update as of 8 a.m. on Jan 6, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 27 attacks in the Kurakhove sector. The main efforts of Russian forces were concentrated on the areas of Slovyanka, Petropavlivka, Kurakhove, and Dachne.

The most intense clashes took place in the industrial zone of the Kurakhivska TPP and the pipe factory on the western outskirts of the city.

Before the full-scale war, around 18,000 people lived in Kurakhove, an important industrial center in southern Donbas. Due to its location on the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk highway, Kurakhove also served as a key logistics hub for Ukrainian forces during battles near Mariinka, Vuhledar, and Krasnohorivka.

In 2024, Russian forces, having broken through the defense in these areas, were able to approach Kurakhove from three cardinal directions — south, east, and north. Fierce fighting for the city has continued since the fall of 2024.

The AFU resumed their offensive in the Kursk region on Sunday, Jan. 5, focusing on at least three areas. The Russian defense ministry acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had launched a counterattack in the region.

Pro-Kremlin military bloggers reported substantial Ukrainian pressure in Kursk. Moscow claimed that Ukraine had deployed two tanks, a dozen armored vehicles, and a demolition unit to target Berdin, a village about 15 kilometers northeast of Sudzha. Pro-Russian Telegram channels, including Rybar, suggested that the “main events” of Ukraine’s offensive might still be ahead.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the strategic importance of Ukraine’s position in Russia’s Kursk region, stating it could significantly influence future negotiations.