Ukraine lost more than 40% of the territory previously conquered as a result of the offensive on Kursk, reports Reuters

Key events on November 23-24:

• Ukraine lost more than 40% of the territory previously conquered as a result of the offensive on Kursk, reports Reuters
• The West “should not set red lines” in providing military support to Ukraine, the French Foreign Minister said
• This week Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 800 KAB bombs, 460 drones and 20 missiles, Zelensky said
• Russia is recruiting hundreds of Yemeni mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, FT reports

Ukraine has lost more than 40 percent of the territory it previously gained in Russia’s Kursk region due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on November 23, citing a source in the Ukrainian General Staff.

“At best, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometers; now, of course, this territory is smaller. The enemy is intensifying counterattacks,” the source said. said Reuters.

“We now control approximately 800 square kilometers. We will hold this territory as long as it is militarily expedient.”

Ukraine first gained a foothold in the Kursk region during sudden invasion to the Russian region in early August. Since then, Russia has launched large-scale counterattacks in an attempt to retake the region.

NATO allies believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking return territory lost in the Kursk region before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, in the hope of gaining leverage in future peace negotiations, The Telegraph reports.

The source added that almost 60,000 The Russian military is currently stationed in the Kursk region and plans to reach the border with the Sumy region to create a “buffer zone” there, as Ukraine planned to do during the invasion of the Kursk region.

Kyiv previously stated this 11,000 North Korean soldiers joined the counteroffensive near Kursk, and a source in the General Staff noted that most of the North Korean soldiers were completion of training along Russian troops.

The Kyiv edition of the Independent was unable to verify the information provided by a source in the General Staff.

As Russia’s attempts to retake Kursk continue, Russia has also stepped up its attacks on the eastern front in recent weeks, putting Ukrainian forces under increasing pressure as they struggle to defend key positions.

ATACMS, Trump and the growing importance of the Kursk region for Ukraine

The Russian Ministry of Defense said on November 19 that Ukraine launched US-made ATACMS missiles into Russia’s Bryansk region. Hours earlier, Ukraine struck a Russian military facility in Karachev, Bryansk region, a two-hour drive from the Ukrainian-controlled part of Russia. President Joe…

West should 'not set red lines' on providing military support for Ukraine, French foreign minister says

Western allies should not “establish and express red lines” in providing military support to Ukraine against Russian aggression, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrault told the BBC in an excerpt from an interview published on November 23.

The comments come just days after US President Joe Biden approved Ukraine’s use of US-supplied long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, many months after President Volodymyr Zelensky first announced it. request.

Barrot said Ukraine could use French-supplied long-range missiles “for self-defense” to strike targets inside Russia, but did not say whether Kyiv had already used weapons provided by France.

“(France) will support Ukraine as intensively and as long as necessary,” Barrot said.

“Why? Because our safety is at stake. Every time the Russian army advances one square kilometer, the threat moves one square kilometer closer to Europe.”

During the interview, Barro also hinted that France might eventually invite Ukraine join NATO within the framework of Zelensky’s five-point victory plan.

“We are open to extending an invitation, and so in our discussions with friends and allies, and friends and allies of Ukraine, we are working to bring them closer to our positions,” he said.

Days before Biden authorized the use of ATACMS in Russia, the leaders of France and Britain met on November 11 in Paris to discuss discuss the latest attempt to persuade the US to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western weapons before Donald Trump enters the White House in January.

Long-range strikes could help push Russia toward peace, US official says

“The weapons that President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use will give it greater ability to defend itself and hopefully make the Russian Federation understand that using force to seize Ukrainian territory will not succeed,” Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols said in a statement. interview.

Russia attacked Ukraine with over 800 KAB bombs, 460 drones, 20 missiles this week, Zelensky says

Over the past week, Russia launched more than 800 aircraft bombs, almost 460 attack drones and more than 20 missiles, President Vladimir Zelensky said on November 24.

“The air raid siren sounded almost every day throughout Ukraine this week. Just last night our air defense forces managed to shoot down about 50 attack drones” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, sharing a video showing Russian attacks across the country.

On the morning of November 21, Russia introduced a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (MRBM), called “Hazel“, in an attack on the city of Dnieper in eastern Ukraine.

“Ukraine is not a weapons testing site. Ukraine is a sovereign, independent state. However, Russia persists in its attempts to destroy our people, sow fear and panic and weaken us,” Zelensky said.

He also confirmed the urgent need enhanced air defense. “Ukraine needs more air defense systems, and we are working on this with our partners. It is extremely important to strengthen the protection of our skies,” he said.

On November 22, Zelensky instructed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to interact with international allies to acquire expanded air defense capabilities.

IRBM attack followed the message from Ukraine first successful strike against a military target on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Unlike cruise missiles, MRBMs are aimed only during the initial phase of launch, which makes them less accurate. However, their exceptional speed, often exceeding 3,200 kilometers per hour when approaching a target, makes them a serious threat.

“Don’t overdo it” – Oreshnik missile is not as new as Russia claims, experts say

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Nov. 21 that his country had launched a new type of missile to attack Ukraine, a show of military might designed to deter Kyiv’s allies from further supporting its full-scale invasion. “Currently there are no ways to counter these weapons…

Russia recruits hundreds of Yemeni mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, FT reports

Russia has recruited hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen to take part in its war against Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on November 24.

Recruits told the FT they were promised lucrative jobs, “high salaries” and even Russian citizenship. However, after arriving in Russia with the help of a Houthi-linked company, they were “forcefully inducted into the Russian army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine,” according to the statement. report.

The FT described the operation as a “shadow human trafficking operation”, highlighting the deepening ties between the Kremlin and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.

From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, Moscow used various methods to recruit migrants And foreign citizens to compensate for heavy losses on the battlefield while avoiding full-scale mobilization.

Reports show that Russia hired people from Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba and other countries.

North Korea also sent approximately 10,000 military personnel to Russia, many of whom are stationed in the western Kursk region and participating in hostilities, a Pentagon spokesman said at a briefing on November 12.

In October Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Yemen’s Houthi militants are using Russian satellite data to attack ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles. Information about the target was reportedly provided through Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, allowing the Houthis to expand their strikes.

This cooperation demonstrates how far Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to go to destabilize the Western political and economic order, the WSJ reports. Analysts speculate that Moscow is seeking to foment unrest from the Middle East to Asia to distract the attention of the United States.

According to the FT, US special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking confirmed that Russia is “actively maintaining contacts” with the Houthis, including discussions related to arms supplies. While Lenderking declined to go into detail, he noted that Russian personnel in Sana’a are facilitating this dialogue.

“The weapons being discussed are very concerning and will allow the Houthis to better target ships in the Red Sea and possibly beyond,” Lenderking told the FT.