The Ukraine lost more than 40% of the lands in the Kursk region which Russia captured last August after a surprise invasion last August, as Russian forces have unleashed waves of counterattacks, a senior Ukrainian military source said.

The source, who is in the General Staff of Ukraine, said that Russia has about 59,000 troops deployed in the Kursk region since Kiev’s forces swept in and advanced quickly, catching Moscow off guard 2.5 years after its invasion of Ukraine.

“At least, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometers (531 square miles), now of course that area is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks,” the source said.

“We now control about 800 square kilometers (309 square miles). We will hold this area as long as it is militarily appropriate.”

The Kursk Offensive was the first land invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II and caught Moscow off guard.

With the push into Kursk, Kiev aimed to halt Russian offensives in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, force Russia to withdraw forces that had been gradually advancing in the east, and give Kiev additional leverage in any future peace negotiations.

But Russian forces are still steadily advancing in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

The source of the Ukrainian General Staff reiterated that approximately 11,000 North Korean troops arrived in the Kursk region to support Russia, but that most of their forces are still completing their training.

Russia is accelerating its advance in eastern Ukraine

The same General Staff source said that the Kurakhove region is the most threatening for Kiev at the moment, as Russian forces are advancing 200-300 meters a day and have managed to break into some areas with armored vehicles.

The city of Kurakhove is a stepping stone to the critical logistical hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

In total, Russia has about 575,000 troops fighting in Ukraine right now, the Ukrainian General Staff source said, and aims to increase its forces to about 690,000.

Earlier today, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had captured the settlement of Novodmytrivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, with Defense Minister Andrei Belusov citing an “accelerated advance” by the Russian military.

Russian Defense Minister Belousov appeared in a video posted online visiting a command post in Ukraine manned by Russia’s “North” military group, where he handed out medals of valor.

“This work we’ve done here now has blown away the best [ουκρανικές] units. Now the advance has accelerated. We have thwarted their entire 2025 campaign,” he said.

Ukraine’s general staff said the Kurakove sector of the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front was engulfed in heavy fighting. Ten of the 35 armed conflicts in the sector are still raging, it said.