Intensifying Struggle: Ukraine's Military Faces Russia's Multifront Assault

Ukraine faces increased pressure from Russia, with battles in Kursk, east fronts, and impending assaults in the south. A Ukrainian operation in Kursk seeks to relieve pressure but extends the front lines. Russia's deployment of North Korean troops and strategic advances highlight escalating tensions.

Ukraine announced its military is grappling with 50,000 Russian troops in the Kursk region while attempting to fortify two eastern fronts and prepare for an infantry assault in the south. The widening conflict stretches Ukraine's already limited forces amid the implications of a potential shift in U.S. policy under a newly elected President Trump.

With Russia occupying a fifth of Ukraine, President Putin demands Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw from key regions. Ukraine's top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited Kursk where a previous Ukrainian incursion captured territory, potentially for negotiation purposes according to President Zelenskiy.

Despite criticism from U.S. analysts about lengthening the front line, Ukraine justifies the Kursk operation as diverting elite Russian units from exerting pressure on other vital frontlines. Moscow reportedly deploys North Korean soldiers, drawing calls from Ukraine for strong Western responses, while Moscow remains silent on these claims.

(With inputs from agencies.)