Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, one of his top generals, to Kursk amid a fresh incursion by Ukraine into the western Russian region.
Russian military bloggers have also reported that Kyiv has deployed tanks supplied by NATO member the U.K. in Kursk as part of the surprise incursion, which comes nearly six months after Ukraine's initial attack succeeded in gaining a large chunk of territory.
Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The latest reports indicate Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to take swift control of the situation in Kursk, which is expected to play a role in possible peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia that may take place after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20.
Russia's border regions have repeatedly come under attack by Kyiv's forces since Putin lauched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
What To Know
Yevkurov arrived in the Kursk region on Sunday for a meeting with local officials, shortly after the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces had renewed their offensive in Kursk. Acting head of the region Alexander Khinshtein said a "working meeting" was held, without elaborating.
Khinshtein said he wouldn't go into the details of the conversation "for obvious reasons."
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Yevkurov played a key role in negotiations during a mutiny attempt in 2023 led by the late head of Russia's Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, which ultimately failed, and led to the effective dismantling of the once shadowy paramilitary group.
When Ukraine first deployed troops into Kursk in August 2024, Putin and his Defense Ministry sought to downplay the scale of Ukrainian advances in the region.
"As you know, the Kyiv regime has carried out another large-scale provocation, firing indiscriminately with various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential buildings, and ambulances," he said at an emergency meeting of his Security Council at the time.
Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers on social media channel Telegram said British Challenger 2 main battle tanks—supplied to Ukraine to fight Russian forces—had been spotted in Kursk. Newsweek couldn't independently verify the claims.
"Numerous shots of Ukrainian armored vehicles destroyed today are being circulated online, among which a British Challenger tank was spotted," said WarGonzo, a Telegram channel with nearly 1 million subscribers.
"A video has been released showing the destruction of another British-made Challenger 2 tank in the Kursk region, which was used by UAV crews from the 155th Guards Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet," said Rybar, a channel which has links to Russia's Defense Ministry.
Rybar said Sunday that fighting was taking place near the village of Berdin to the northeast of Sudzha, "where the highest level of enemy activity has been recorded so far."
The extent of Ukraine's operations in Kursk since Sunday aren't clear, but as of January 4, Ukraine was in control of 493 square kilometers of the Kursk region, according to the Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState.
The Russian National Guard said it had repelled attacks by Ukrainian forces in the region.
Who Said What
Acting head of the Kursk region Alexander Khinshtein said on his Telegram channel: "We held a working meeting with Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov."
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, wrote on Telegram on Sunday: "Kursk, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves."
Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council said on Telegram: "The Russians in Kursk are experiencing great anxiety because they were attacked from several directions and it came as a surprise to them. The defense forces are working."
What Happens Next
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Seoul on Monday that Ukraine's position in Kursk "is an important one because certainly it's something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year."
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