Ukrainian Army Fails To Defend Key Fortified Area In Kurakhovo

On 26 December 2024, Russian army units occupied the entire residential area of the town of Kurakhovo. The remnants of the Ukrainian army retreated to the western outskirts of the city, to the area where industrial enterprises are located. Ukrainian army units also continue to hold the Kurakhovo Thermal Power Plant area. The Russian army’s 5th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade is at the forefront of the Russian offensive in the city. On 25 December, video footage appeared showing soldiers of the 5th Brigade planting Russian flags in five places at once. On 26 December, the Russian army cleared the city’s last street, Sportivnaya, of the presence of AFU soldiers. The 110th and 114th motorized rifle brigades, the 20th and 150th divisions of the Russian Army are successfully operating on the flanks around the city and on its outskirts. The city of Kurakhovo is the center of a key fortified area in the west of the former Donetsk region of Ukraine. Intense fighting took place in this area throughout December. To defend the entire fortified area, including the city, the Ukrainian command has formed a group of 15,000 troops equipped with modern NATO weapons. As of 26 December, some 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers continue to resist on the western outskirts of the city. Another 8,000 AFU soldiers are fighting near the city, focusing on the settlements of Andreevka, Konstantinopol and Ulakly to the west of Kurakhovo. Despite the active resistance of Ukrainian units, the Russian army is conducting successful combat operations throughout the whole area. The Russian offensive is developing both north of Kurakhovo towards the T-05-15 route and south on both banks of the Sukhiye Yaly river. Krasnoye (Sontsovka) has been confirmed liberated. To the south-west of the city, Russian assault groups finally cleared the village of Sukhiye Yaly and aligned the front on the Yantarnoye-Konstantinopolskoye line. The remnants of the AFU units were driven out of the village of Gigant. Fighting is taking place in the area of Zelenovka. Actions have begun toward the settlement of Ulakly. On the northern flank, Russian units have occupied the territory of the Zarya Landscape Reserve west of Zarya, and are waging the offensive near Kurakhovo itself. Fighting has broken out in the settlement of Shevchenko. A significant Russian advance is in the woodlands near the village of Dalnyi. Fighting is fierce throughout the entire district. The Zelensky regime tries to overcome the defense crisis by sending fresh troops into the battle area. However, these newly formed units are poorly trained and are no match for the best Ukrainian brigades that originally defended this fortified area. As a result, the Ukrainian army is suffering catastrophic losses, especially in manpower. Kyiv’s daily non-recoverable losses have totaled more than 500 servicemen. The morale of the newly arrived troops is extremely low. The Russians are resisted only by the remnants of the original garrison. However, if the current offensive momentum of the Russian units continues, the whole area will be taken by 10 January 2025.