Ukrainian troops have successfully repelled at least two Russian assaults in the Kurakhove sector of the Donetsk region in recent days, according to a report from the Khortytsia operational-strategic group on Telegram.
On the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 3, the group reported that Ukrainian paratroopers had thwarted a Russian assault, neutralizing four infantry fighting vehicles (BMP).
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“The enemy deployed a column of armored vehicles to storm the positions of the defenders from the Jaeger Brigade,” the report said.
The 71st Separate Jaeger Brigade released a video, which Kyiv Post could not independently verify, showing the assault and the subsequent Ukrainian counterattack. Thanks to coordinated efforts between UAV pilots and artillery units, the movement of Russian military equipment was halted.
“The result of the operation: four enemy combat vehicles were destroyed and damaged,” the report added.
Later on Dec. 3, the Khortytsia group reported that Ukrainian marines not only obliterated the armored column but also eliminated Russian infantry, although the exact number of casualties was not specified.
The 37th Separate Marine Brigade published footage showing Ukrainian artillery and strike drones targeting Russian troops. The marines destroyed a column that included a tank, armored combat vehicles, and additional BMPs.
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Through a combination of drone attacks and artillery strikes, Ukrainian forces were able to neutralize the remaining infantry attempting to storm Ukrainian positions.
Strategic importance of Kurakhove
Russian forces are focusing on capturing Kurakhove, a frontline town in the Donetsk region, and the nearby Kurakhove Reservoir to establish a bridgehead for an assault on Pokrovsk.
Ivan Tymochko, head of the Council of Reservists of the Land Forces of Ukraine, told Espresso on Dec. 3 that Russian troops aim to block the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk supply route, a key logistical lifeline for Ukrainian forces in Kurakhove. Heavy, bloody battles are expected in this sector, Tymochko said.
An anonymous source in Ukraine’s defense forces told Kyiv Post on Nov. 19 that Russian troops were trying to encircle Kurakhove by cutting off its supply chain along the Kostyantynopil-Kurakhove road.
“Fighting is ongoing within Kurakhove. The central part of the city is under enemy fire control,” the source revealed.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that Russian military leadership likely considers capturing Selydove, Vuhledar, and Kurakhove critical for aligning the front line in western Donetsk. This would enable further offensive operations toward Pokrovsk.
Reducing and consolidating the front line in western Donetsk could allow Russian forces currently engaged in the northern and southern sectors of Kurakhove to redeploy for intensified assaults on Pokrovsk while securing their southern flank.
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