The Russian military said today that its forces had repelled attacks by Ukrainians in four communities in the Kursk region, while also taking control of what it called a strategic logistics hub, the city of New York in eastern Ukraine.

The seizure of New York, if confirmed by Ukraine, would mark another success for Moscow in its bid to seize the entire Donetsk region, even as it battles to repel the Ukrainian invasion of Kursk.

Ukraine in Kursk: Ukrainian forces advance to a depth of 28-35 km

Ukraine says it has seized an area 1,250 square kilometers and controls 92 Russian settlements after the invasion of Kursk on August 6, in one of its boldest and most unexpected counterattacks.

Ukraine’s army chief said Ukrainian forces are advancing 28-35 kilometers deep into Russia’s Kursk region, while Moscow is moving some troops from other directions to reinforce its positions there.

Russia is also sending additional troops to Ukraine’s Pokrovsk region, which has seen the heaviest fighting in the two-and-a-half-year-old Russian invasion, Oleksandr Sirsky said in a briefing broadcast on state television.

Russia is strengthening its defense in the border areas

Russia has formed three new military groups to handle security in the areas bordering Ukraine, Defense Minister Andrei Belausov said today.

The teams are named after the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions.

Russian forces have been fighting Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region since August 6, when thousands of Ukrainian soldiers crossed Russia’s western border, causing great embarrassment to Russia’s top military leadership.

Russia has vowed to “crush” the invasion, but there is no indication so far that it is close to achieving that goal.

“Reconnaissance operations and searches are continuing to identify and destroy enemy saboteur groups in forested areas, who attempted to penetrate deep into Russian territory,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. It also claimed that Russian warplanes struck groups of Ukrainian soldiers and war material on the Ukrainian side of the border.

Which settlements are the Ukrainians attacking?

According to Moscow, the Ukrainians are attempting attacks near the settlements of Borki, Korenevo, Kremianoye and Ruskaia Kanapeelka. Reuters was unable to independently verify these reports.

“In the Kursk region, the tense situation continues along the entire front line. Enemy attacks, with armored phalanxes in many areas, are coming under fire from the tanks of the Russian Armed Forces and the air force,” said Rybar, a popular Russian blogger-military analyst.

The morale of the Ukrainians is up

The invasion has boosted Ukrainian morale and Kiev believes that seizing territory and taking Russian prisoners of war will be to its advantage in a possible negotiation. But independent military analysts say Ukraine is taking a risk by withdrawing some of its most effective combat units from the front line of defense on the eastern front, where Russia continues to advance.

The Ukrainians have not confirmed the capture of New York. The General Staff of the Army admitted that Russian forces are launching attacks near this city but that the Ukrainian army is “strongly resisting”.