Ukraine has lost more than 40% of the territory previously captured by the Kursk invasion, Reuters reports

Most important developments on November 23-24:

• Ukraine has lost more than 40% of the territory previously captured by the Kursk invasion, Reuters reports
• The West should ‘not draw red lines’ when providing military support to Ukraine, the French Foreign Minister says
• Russia attacked Ukraine this week with more than 800 KAB bombs, 460 drones and 20 missiles, Zelensky says
• 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 captured in Russia’s Kursk Oblast as a result of Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on November 23, citing a source in the Ukrainian General Staff.

“We controlled at most about 1,376 square kilometers, now of course this area is smaller. The enemy is stepping up its counterattacks,” the source said. told Reuters.

‘Now we control about 800 square kilometers. We will hold this area for as long as it is militarily appropriate.”

Ukraine first gained a foothold in Kursk Oblast during a surprising raid to the Russian region in early August. Since then, Russia has launched extensive counterattacks in an attempt to retake the region.

NATO allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pursuing this goal recapture territory lost in the Kursk Oblast before US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, in the hope of gaining influence over future peace negotiations, The Telegraph reported.

The source almost added that 60,000 Russian military personnel are currently stationed in Kursk Oblast and plan to reach the border with Sumy Oblast to create a “buffer zone” there, as Ukraine appeared to do with its incursion into Kursk Oblast.

Kiev has said about this before 11,000 North Korean soldiers have joined the counter-offensive in Kursk, with the General Staff source noting that the majority of North Korean soldiers were complete training past Russian forces.

The Kiev Independent has not been able to verify the information from the General Staff source.

As Russia’s attempt to take back Kursk progresses, Russia has also intensified its attacks along the eastern front in recent weeks, putting Ukrainian forces under increasing pressure as they struggle to defend key positions.

ATACMS, Trump and the increasing importance of the Kursk Oblast for Ukraine

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

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

Western allies should “not draw red lines” in providing military support to Ukraine against Russian aggression, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot 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 hit targets in Russia, many months after President Volodymyr Zelensky first launched the request.

Barrot stated that Ukraine could use French-supplied long-range missiles “in the logic of self-defense” to strike targets in Russia, but did not elaborate on whether Kiev has already used the French-supplied weapons.

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

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

During the interview, Barrot also hinted that France could eventually invite Ukraine join NATO as part of Zelensky’s five-point victory plan.

“We are open to an invitation, and that is why in our conversations 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 approved using ATACMS in Russia, the leaders of France and Britain met in Paris on November 11 to discuss a last-ditch effort to convince the US to allow Ukraine to attack deep inside Russia with Western weapons before Donald Trump enters the White House in January.

Long-range strikes could help Russia achieve peace, a US official says

“The weapons that President Biden has allowed Ukraine to use will give the country greater ability to defend itself and hopefully make the Russian Federation understand that using force to seize Ukrainian territory will not succeed,” the US deputy secretary said of State Department Brian A. Nichols in a speech. interview.

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

Over the past week, Russia has launched more than 800 KAB-guided aerial bombs, nearly 460 attack drones and more than 20 missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on November 24.

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

On the morning of November 21, Russia unveiled a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) called “Oreshnik”, in an attack on the city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine.

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

He also reiterated the urgent need for this reinforced air defense. “Ukraine needs more air defense systems, and we are working on this together with our partners. It is crucial to strengthen the protection of our airspace,” he said.

On November 22, Zelensky instructed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to work with international allies to acquire these weapons advanced air defense capabilities.

The IRBM attack followed Ukraine’s report first successful strike on a military target on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Unlike cruise missiles, IRBMs are only guided in the initial stages of launch, making them less accurate. However, their exceptional speed – often exceeding 2,000 miles per hour as they close in on their targets – makes them a formidable threat.

‘Don’t overreact’ – The Oreshnik missile is not as new as Russia claims, experts say

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on November 21 that his country had launched a new type of missile in an attack on Ukraine, a show of military force intended to deter Kiev’s allies from further support against his large-scale invasion. “There are currently no ways to counter this weapon.…

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

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

The recruits told the FT that they had been promised lucrative jobs, “high salaries” and even Russian citizenship. However, after arriving in Russia with the help of a Houthi-linked company, they were “forcibly absorbed into the Russian army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine,” the newspaper said. report.

The FT described the operation as a “shadowy human trafficking operation” and underlined the deepening ties between the Kremlin and Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.

Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, Moscow has relied on various means employ migrants And foreign nationals to compensate for heavy battlefield losses while avoiding full mobilization.

Reports indicate that Russia has done so recruited individuals from Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba and other countries.

North Korea also sent a message an estimated 10,000 troops to Russia, many of whom are stationed in the western Kursk Oblast and engaged in fighting, a Pentagon spokesperson said at a Nov. 12 briefing.

In October the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed that Yemen’s Houthi militants have used Russian satellite data to target ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles. The targeting information was reportedly provided through Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, allowing the Houthis to expand their attacks.

This cooperation shows how far Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to go to destabilize the Western political and economic order, according to the WSJ. Analysts suggest Moscow is aiming to foment unrest from the Middle East to Asia to distract the United States.

According to the FT, US Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking confirmed that Russia is “actively engaged” with the Houthis, including discussions on arms transfers. While Lenderking declined to elaborate, he noted that Russian personnel in Sana’a are facilitating this dialogue.

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