Russia claims to capture Kurakhove, Ukraine says fighting ongoing in the sector

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Jan. 6 that its forces had fully captured Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, a statement not confirmed by Ukraine.

Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces reported on Jan. 6 that battles are ongoing in the Kurakhove sector as Russia "conducts assault operations in the urban area of Kurakhove in the direction of Petropavlivka and Dachne."

The reports come amid heavy Russian offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast that took a long-unseen pace in the fall of 2024.

"Measures are underway to identify and destroy Russian assault groups trying to infiltrate our battle formations," the Khortytsia group said.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Russian forces have focused their effort at Kurakhove in southwestern Donetsk Oblast over the past few months, turning it into one of the hottest sectors of the front. The town lies over 20 kilometers (over 10 miles) north of Russian-occupied Vuhledar and over 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) south of the key front-line town of Pokrovsk.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Jan. 6 that over the past day, Ukrainian forces repelled 27 ground assaults near Kurakhove, Petropavlivka, Dachne, and Slovianka.

The Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState shows Kurakhove almost completely in Russian hands, with Moscow's forces apparently advancing west toward Dachne.

If confirmed, this would make Kurakhove the first major town to fall into Russian hands in 2025 after capturing Avdiivka and Vuhledar last year. Moscow's troops now focus their efforts at Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub, as part of their overall goal to capture the entire Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, mixed reports surface on outcome

Ukrainian troops attacked Russian forces in several directions in Kursk Oblast, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation center, claimed on Jan. 5. Reports by Russian pro-war Telegram channels have echoed the statement, saying that a new Kyiv offensive is underway.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova