### Ukraine Faces Significant Territorial Losses in Kursk Amid Russian Counterattacks

Ukraine has reportedly lost a substantial portion of the territory it had seized in Russia's Kursk region during a surprise offensive in August. According to a senior source in Kyiv's army, over 40% of the 1,376 square kilometers initially captured has been retaken by Russian forces due to continuous counter-assaults.

The Kursk region invasion, an unparalleled move since World War Two, initially caught Moscow off guard. Despite this, Russian forces have since mobilized, deploying approximately 59,000 troops to the area. Consequently, Ukraine's control has shrunk to about 800 square kilometers.

The Ukrainian General Staff also noted the arrival of around 11,000 North Korean troops in support of Russia, although their training is reportedly still being completed. The Russian Defence Ministry has not commented on these developments, and Reuters has been unable to confirm the figures independently.

Concurrently, Russian forces have been making steady advances in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, with the Kurakhove area presenting a significant threat to Kyiv. Russian troops have advanced by 200-300 meters per day in this region, using armored vehicles and anti-drone defenses to break through certain areas. Kurakhove is strategically important as it leads towards the logistical hub of Pokrovsk.

In response to the challenges posed by a numerically superior enemy—estimated by Ukraine to comprise around 575,000 troops—the Ukrainian military has targeted Russian logistics and supply chains. This effort has been bolstered by a reported shift in U.S. policy early in the month, allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles for strikes inside Russian territory. Following this, Ukraine has launched ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles, targeting positions deep within Russia.

Russia's reaction to these escalations includes launching a new medium-range ballistic missile into the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Ukrainian officials are currently in discussions with the U.S. and Britain regarding new air defense systems to protect against these longer-range threats.

The conflict has also seen Ukraine's military strengthening air defenses over Kyiv, with plans to extend similar measures to Sumy and Kharkiv. As of now, Russia occupies a fifth of Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin demanding that Kyiv abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw from four partially occupied regions. Ukraine, however, views these demands as unacceptable and akin to capitulation.