KYIV: Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said Saturday.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, its forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.
“Units of the ‘North’ military group have liberated the village of Oleshnya in the Kursk region during active offensive operations,” the ministry said in a statement. The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the claim and there was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some seven miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.
“The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Gornal ... in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement,” the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.
Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year.
In other developments, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
Russian attacks damaged farms in the Odesa region and sparked fires in the Sumy region overnight, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said Saturday. Fires were contained, and no casualties were reported.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday.
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Russia says it has retaken another village in the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces
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Russia says it has retaken another village in the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces
- “Units of the ‘North’ military group have liberated the village of Oleshnya in the Kursk region during active offensive operations,” the ministry said
- Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal
Kosovo takes in migrants deported by US: PM
PRISTINA: Kosovo has started accepting migrants that the United States wants to deport, under an accord with President Donald Trump’s administration, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said.
“We are accepting those whom the United States does not want on its territory,” Kurti said a television interview late Thursday, adding that one or two of the migrants had arrived in the Balkan state.
Under the accord reached in June, Kosovo could accept up to 50 people, according to the Kurti government. The agreement was to last one year.
Kosovo, one of Europe’s poorest countries, wanted through the accord to express its “eternal gratitude” for US support since it broke away from Serbia in 2008, the government said at the time.
Kurti came to power in February but his government has since fallen and a new election will be held on December 28.
The United States has had harsh words for Kurti’s party, accusing it of “undermining the stability” of Kosovo by preventing a Serbian political party from running in the December elections.
Kosovo has also ratified an agreement with Denmark to host foreign prisoners convicted in the country, who will be able to serve sentences in a Kosovo prison.
“We are accepting those whom the United States does not want on its territory,” Kurti said a television interview late Thursday, adding that one or two of the migrants had arrived in the Balkan state.
Under the accord reached in June, Kosovo could accept up to 50 people, according to the Kurti government. The agreement was to last one year.
Kosovo, one of Europe’s poorest countries, wanted through the accord to express its “eternal gratitude” for US support since it broke away from Serbia in 2008, the government said at the time.
Kurti came to power in February but his government has since fallen and a new election will be held on December 28.
The United States has had harsh words for Kurti’s party, accusing it of “undermining the stability” of Kosovo by preventing a Serbian political party from running in the December elections.
Kosovo has also ratified an agreement with Denmark to host foreign prisoners convicted in the country, who will be able to serve sentences in a Kosovo prison.
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