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Today there are a lot of updates from the Kursk direction.
Here, in a desperate bid to break the stalemate and finally reclaim Kursk, Russian forces began redeploying many thousands of additional Russian and North Korean troops, tanks, and armored vehicles to the region. However, Ukrainian forces used this chance to track down their movement, exposed dozens of Russian warehouses and secret camps, and unleashed a devastating series of long-range strikes with devastating consequences for the Russians.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly directed his military to expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk by January 20, 2025, coinciding with the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, who has pledged to end the war swiftly, has not clarified his approach, leaving uncertainty about his strategy. Putin's push appears aimed at projecting strength and regaining full territorial control ahead of any potential Trump-led peace negotiations.
To meet Putin’s directive, Russian commanders have begun redeploying additional troops from various units across Russia and the frontline. A Ukrainian soldier operating in Kursk reported the recent arrival of unspecified elements from the elite Russian 76th Air Assault Division, with Russian forces amassing approximately 4,000 personnel and 100 armored fighting vehicles prepared for further offensives. This corroborates earlier reports of the division's relocation from the Zaporizhia direction to Kursk in recent weeks. Additionally, North Korean troops supporting Russian efforts have been repositioned from rear bases to frontline positions, further bolstering the build-up.
Ukrainian commanders knew that this window of redeployment with increased activity brought a bigger risk of exposure for the Russian forces, so they exploited this situation by tracking and locating various enemy camps, warehouses, and command centers. After gathering extensive information about potential key targets, Ukrainians decided to capitalize on that by striking them with various weapons, including drones and Storm Shadow missiles.
The initial target was a bunker at the Baryatinsky estate in Marino, approximately 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian salient in the Kursk region, serving as an operational headquarters for senior Russian commanders overseeing offensives in the area. Russian military analysts reported that Ukrainian forces fired up to 12 Storm Shadow missiles, criticizing the ineffective Russian air defenses that failed to intercept the strike. Ukrainians later released geolocated footage from a Shark surveillance drone documenting the precision of the attack.
Western officials confirmed the effectiveness of the Storm Shadow missile strike on Russian targets, reporting dozens of casualties among high-ranking officers, including Russian Lieutenant-General Valery Solodchuk and a senior North Korean general. While the North Korean officer's identity remains undisclosed, Ukrainian intelligence previously identified General Colonel Kim Yong Bok as overseeing North Korean special-purpose Assault Corps units deployed in Russia. Reports also indicate the strike killed or injured hundreds of regular troops, including approximately 500 North Korean soldiers preparing to support the Russian counteroffensive.
On the previous day, Ukrainian forces executed a large-scale drone strike targeting Russian rear areas, focusing on military and defense industrial assets in Voronezh, Belgorod, and Novgorod. While Russian officials claimed their air defense systems intercepted or destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Combatting Disinformation, reported that the drones successfully hit the 13th Main Missile and Artillery Directorate arsenal near Kotovo, Novgorod. This facility housed ammunition for tube artillery, mortar mines, ballistic missiles, and air defense systems, including KN-23 missiles supplied by North Korea.
Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate reported that their forces also struck another command post of the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces in Gubkin and various drone production sites located in the Belgorod region as well.
Overall, the Ukrainian preemptive strikes on Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk underscore the critical importance of intelligence-driven warfare and the vulnerabilities inherent in large-scale troop redeployments. By exploiting Russia’s logistical weaknesses and operational predictability, Ukraine not only neutralized a significant portion of the incoming reinforcements but also demonstrated its ability to strike deep into enemy territory with precision and strategic impact.
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