Russian forces push toward Kurachove, heightening Ukraine tension

The Russian army is gaining ground in the Donetsk region, approaching Kurachove by 200-300 yards daily. This city is a key logistical point for Ukraine. The situation is "worse" than around Pokrovsk, said a source in the Ukrainian military cited by AFP. Pokrovsk, located about 25 miles to the north, also plays an important logistical role.

Both cities are important logistical hubs for Ukrainian troops and, for this reason, remain key targets for Russian forces in the Donbas.

At the beginning of August, the Ukrainian army launched an offensive in Russia's Kursk region to divert Russian forces from the Donbas. By the end of August, Ukraine controlled 480 square miles of this area. However, in September, the Russians regained part of the territory. Currently, according to AFP, 800 square kilometers (about 310 square miles) in the Kursk region remain under Ukrainian control.

Meanwhile, around 580,000 Russian ground troops are involved in military actions against Ukraine, General Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR), told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

"The ground component of the enemy group involved in hostilities against Ukraine amounts to almost 580,000 Russian servicemen," including in the Russian Kursk region, stated Skibitsky.

At the beginning of November, the American newspaper "New York Times" reported that 50,000 Russian and North Korean soldiers are preparing for an offensive in Russia's Kursk region, bordering Ukraine, to reclaim territory controlled by Ukrainian forces.