Russia says it has taken another village from Ukrainian forces in Kursk region
The Units of the North military group has liberated the village of Oleshnya, according to the Defence Ministry.
Kremlin forces have pushed Ukrainian troops from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.
The “Units of the North military group have liberated the village of Oleshnya in the Kursk region during active offensive operations”, the ministry said in a statement.
State news agency Tass said Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, seven miles south of Oleshnya.
“The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornal… in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is under way in the settlement,” the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.
Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year.
In other developments, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday.
It said 33 were intercepted and another 36 were lost, probably having been electronically jammed.
Russian attacks damaged farms in the Odesa region and sparked fires in the Sumy region overnight, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Saturday.
Fires were contained, and no casualties were reported.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems shot down two Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday.
