The Russian forces have taken the city of Kurakhove in the strategically vital region of Donetsk after a siege of two months, according to local reports.
Reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicated that Russian forces made gains in western Kurakhove on December 24, succeeding in an advance that first began in mid-October.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry to verify the progress email related to this story.
Donetsk is one of four regions of Ukraine annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the first escalation of the invasion in 2022, making it one of the main battlefields of the war.
Putin has said that the region is a main objective for Russian forces in 2025, and the profits obtained in Kurakhove constitute a step to maintain the region in the future. The faithful of the Russian army abundant resources to capture the city, bringing approximately 35,000 troops to the region for a siege of 2 months.
The Ukrainian government have showed that the Russian forces had produced gains surrounding Kurakhove, the Khortytsie forces organization reporting that Ukraine had lost of several positions in the Donetsk region around the city.
The Russian military began the siege in October, bringing significant military force and infantry to the area to put more pressure on Ukrainian defenders. Data from the ISW indicates that Russia ramped up the number of armored assaults on the town, resulting in a heavy loss of vehicles during the attacks.
Ukrainian intelligence suggests that Russian forces are now focused on amassing troops in the region to reinforce the gains made in the area after the assault, with artillery bombings continuing to target Ukrainian infrastructure in Donetsk.
Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the Ukrainian group Khortytsia, stated on Ukrainian television: “In the last 24 hours there have been some 31 clashes in the Kurakhove sector. The groups will continue to infiltrate our struggle in educational courses.
“They are moving in small groups, attempting to secure footholds in buildings or bypass city structures on the outskirts. The fact that they attack in small groups does not mean there are not many of them overall. The 8th and 29th Russian armies, the 90th Tank Division, the 20th Motor Rifle Division, and the 5th and 110th Separate Motor Rifle Divisions are all operating against us in this area.”
The taking of Kurakhove gives Russia a strong foothold in the region from which it can launch future operations. However, the ISW predicts that Russian forces may face difficulty in further advances, as Ukraine still maintains a strong presence in Kurakhivska, to the west of the town.
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Theo Burman is a Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on U.S. politics and international news, as well as the impact of digital culture on elections. He has covered electoral and cultural issues extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., along with high-profile legal cases such as the trials of Andrew Tate and Donald Trump. Theo joined Newsweek in 2024 and has previously written for Dexerto, PinkNews, and News UK. He is a graduate of Durham University and News Associates.You can get in touch with Theo by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.