On the morning of January 6, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had taken control of Kurakhovo. The city is located in the Pokrovsky district of Ukraine's Donetsk region.
According to Russian authorities on Telegram and The Moscow Times, securing this major logistics hub will disrupt the supply lines for Ukrainian forces operating in the area.
Kurakhovo has been described by the Russian Defense Ministry as the largest settlement in the southwestern part of Donetsk Oblast.
The ministry claimed that controlling the city has hindered the logistical and technical support for Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk direction. The ministry further stated that capturing Kurakhovo has allowed Russian forces to “enter operational space,” which could accelerate their offensive in the Donetsk region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously identified the region’s capture as a priority goal for the military campaign.
Reported Ukrainian Losses
The Russian Defense Ministry also alleged heavy Ukrainian losses during the battle for Kurakhovo.
They claim that Ukraine lost 80% of its personnel defending the city, amounting to over 12,000 troops. Additionally, they reported the destruction of approximately 3,000 pieces of military equipment, including 40 tanks and other armored vehicles.
Kurakhovo’s Strategic Importance
Before the Russian invasion, Kurakhovo had a population of nearly 19,000 people.
It is the largest city that Russia has claimed to capture since its occupation of Selydove in late October 2024. The battle for Kurakhovo began in September, with Russian forces attacking from the east, north, and south.
The Ukrainian government has not yet commented on the situation in Kurakhovo.
However, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that 27 Russian attacks in the region had been repelled in the past 24 hours. The General Staff mentioned ongoing Ukrainian defensive operations in key areas, including Slovyanka, Petrovpavlovka, Kurakhovoye, and Dachnoye.
Recent reports indicate that Ukrainian troops were holding defensive positions in the industrial zone on the western outskirts of the city, near the Kurakhovskaya TPP and a local pipe plant, according to the BBC Russian Service.
Ukrainian Counteroffensive
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have reportedly resumed offensive operations in the Kursk region.
On January 5, Z-war correspondents claimed that the Ukrainian military had advanced northeast from the city of Sudzha toward the Bolshoy Soldatskoye area.
