Ukraine says it still holds Kurakhove’s western outskirts, despite Russia’s claim of capture

**Ukraine Holds Outposts in Kurakhove, Despite Russian Claims**

Ukrainian forces are holding their positions in the western outskirts of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast and a local power plant. However, the situation in the town is “difficult,” according to a military spokesperson.

“The situation in Kurakhove is really quite difficult right now, because a significant part of the city has been destroyed,” said Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces, on national television. This assessment comes just a day after Russia claimed to have full control over the town.

**Russian Tactics in Kurakhove**

Russian forces are reportedly attempting to raze Kurakhove building by building, destroying any potential defenses for Ukrainian soldiers. This tactic mirrors Russian strategies used in other front-line towns like Toretsk, where there are reportedly “no intact buildings left” after Moscow’s onslaught.

In its Jan. 7 report, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported fending off 26 Russian assaults in the Kurakhove sector, including in the area of the town itself. The DeepState monitoring group shows Kurakhove almost completely in Russian hands, save for small areas in the west.

**Other Developments**

The U.K-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has set up a tracking system to alert allies if a ship poses a threat to undersea cable infrastructure and track Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers. A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 52% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, a drop of seven percentage points from October 2024.

Moscow Patriarch Kirill accused the West of “hating” Russia because it represents “an alternative path of civilizational development.” A Ukrainian-operated F-16 jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission in December. Two Russian anti-missile Pantsir-S1 systems and one OSA anti-aircraft vehicle were reportedly damaged or destroyed in the occupied part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast.