**Ukraine Claims Success in Russia’s Kursk Region**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his military’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region is holding down 50,000 Russian troops. In a daily address to the nation, Zelensky said this move is reducing Moscow’s ability to attack inside Ukraine.
**Troop Numbers**
According to the Institute for the Study of War, there were initially 11,000 Russian troops in Kursk when Ukraine began its incursion in early August. However, a report by The New York Times suggests that Russia has since built up its troop numbers in Kursk without having to pull soldiers out of Ukraine.
The paper claims that North Korean troops are being deployed in Kursk as part of an imminent Russian counter-offensive. It is reported that both the US and Ukraine have accused Moscow of massing 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops for this purpose.
**Russian Counter-Offensive**
Zelensky’s Commander-in-Chief, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyy, has announced that he had carried out an inspection of Ukrainian units deployed in Kursk. In his address, Zelensky said that Ukraine’s forces are holding back 50,000 Russian troops who would otherwise be attacking inside Ukraine.
**Fighting Continues**
Fighting continues in the Donetsk region, where both sides have accused each other of damaging a dam near the Ukrainian-held town of Kurakhove. Russian troops have been slowly advancing towards the key city of Pokrovsk – a major supply hub for Ukrainian forces.
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