"Since beginning of Kursk operation, enemy lost over 38,000 troops": Zelenskyy

Kyiv [Ukraine], January 7 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday highlighted progress in Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive in the Kursk region, marking five months since the operation began.
Zelenskyy emphasised the creation of a buffer zone on Russian territory and the destruction of Russian military assets, noting motre than 38,000 enemy losses in the area, including approximately 15,000 "irrecoverable losses."
Sharing a post on X early Tuesday, Zelenskyy said, "Today marks exactly five months since the start of our actions in the Kursk region, and we continue to maintain a buffer zone on Russian territory, actively destroying their military potential there. During the Kursk operation, the enemy has already lost over 38,000 soldiers in this single direction alone, with approximately 15,000 of them irrecoverable losses."
Zelenskyy added, "The Russians have deployed their strongest units to Kursk, including soldiers from North Korea. Importantly, all this manpower cannot now be redirected to other fronts--neither to the Donetsk region, nor against Sumy, the Kharkiv region, or Zaporizhzhia."
Praising the Ukrainian forces for their efforts, Zelenskyy said, "I thank all our warriors who are bringing the war back home--to Russia--and giving Ukraine more security and strength."
Ukraine on Sunday carried out a counterattack in Kursk, warning that Moscow is "getting what it deserves," CNN reported.
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, an official body, announced that Ukrainian forces had launched surprise attacks against Russian forces in various locations in Kursk, months after conducting its incursion in the region.
In a short post shared on Telegram, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak said, "Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves."
The Ukrainian military first conducted an incursion into Kursk in August and has held much of the territory it took, despite efforts made by Russian forces and recently deployed North Korean soldiers to send back Ukrainian troops across the border.
In a statement shared on Sunday, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the Ukrainians had conducted counterattacks to stop a Russian offensive, CNN reported, citing TASS news agency. It said that both had been repelled and added that the Ukrainian assault including two tanks and 12 armoured vehicles was defeated near Berdin village, which is located some 15 kilometers from the border.