CNN — Ukraine has launched a counterattack in the southern Russian border region of Kursk, warning that Russia is “getting what it deserves.” Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, an official body, said Ukrainian forces had launched surprise attacks against Russian forces in several locations across Kursk, months after launching its incursion in the region. In a short Telegram post Sunday, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said: “Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves.” The Ukrainian military first launched an incursion into Kursk in August and has held much of the territory it took, despite efforts by Russian and recently deployed North Korean troops to drive Ukrainian units back across the border. World World / Europe Russia ‘getting what it deserves,’ Ukraine says, after launching counterattack in border region By Maria Kostenko and Tim Lister, CNN 4 minute read Updated 10:49 PM EST, Sun January 5, 2025 Ukraine says Russia just lost a battalion. Retired US colonel explains what impact that may have 03:02 - Source: CNN A crossing point on the border with Russia is seen near the Russian border in Sumy region of Ukraine on August 11. Ukraine says Russia just lost a battalion. Retired US colonel explains what impact that may have 03:02 still_21254231_127272.151_still.jpg ISIS has made a comeback. Nic Robertson explains what’s changed 03:13 Volunteers from the Syrian Civil Defense, the volunteer organization also known as the White Helmets, inspect the site of a suspected Assad regime chemical laboratory inside a State Security facility in Damascus, Syria. 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CNN reporter explains South Korea's political turmoil 03:11 See More Videos CNN — Ukraine has launched a counterattack in the southern Russian border region of Kursk, warning that Russia is “getting what it deserves.” Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, an official body, said Ukrainian forces had launched surprise attacks against Russian forces in several locations across Kursk, months after launching its incursion in the region. In a short Telegram post Sunday, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said: “Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves.” The Ukrainian military first launched an incursion into Kursk in August and has held much of the territory it took, despite efforts by Russian and recently deployed North Korean troops to drive Ukrainian units back across the border. The Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday that the Ukrainians had launched counterattacks to stop a Russian offensive, as reported by the official TASS news agency. It said that both had been repelled, adding that a Ukrainian assault including two tanks and 12 armored vehicles had been defeated near the village of Berdin, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border. The ministry said air power had been used against Ukrainian forces in several areas. Subsequently, a blog associated with Russia’s Northern Group of forces said that its units were moving forward, adding that there were “active hostilities in Sudzha district, the enemy is acting in mobile groups on armored vehicles, our aviation and artillery are working, small arms battles are going on.” CNN is unable to verify battlefield reports. The Kursk offensive – the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II – took Russia and Ukraine’s allies by surprise when it was launched. Kyiv’s troops advanced quickly, though Russia eventually began to push their forces back; the line of control has not changed dramatically in recent months. On Saturday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that in battles near the village of Makhnovka, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean soldiers and Russian paratroopers. A battalion is normally several hundred troops. Unofficial Russian military blogs, which often provide reliable reporting on the Ukraine conflict, acknowledged the fighting on Sunday. One said that the Ukrainians were pushing north towards Berdin. “The enemy has thrown reserves into the offensive in Kursk region,” said one blog Sunday. Video shows burnt-out Russian trucks with bodies in Kursk region 00:49 - Source: CNN “For the breakthrough, the AFU covered the area with powerful radio electronic warfare systems, hampering the work of our UAVs (drones),” the blog said. “There are small arms battles, our artillery and tanks are actively working against the enemy.” World World / Europe Russia ‘getting what it deserves,’ Ukraine says, after launching counterattack in border region By Maria Kostenko and Tim Lister, CNN 4 minute read Updated 10:49 PM EST, Sun January 5, 2025 Ukraine says Russia just lost a battalion. Retired US colonel explains what impact that may have 03:02 - Source: CNN A crossing point on the border with Russia is seen near the Russian border in Sumy region of Ukraine on August 11. Ukraine says Russia just lost a battalion. Retired US colonel explains what impact that may have 03:02 still_21254231_127272.151_still.jpg ISIS has made a comeback. Nic Robertson explains what’s changed 03:13 Volunteers from the Syrian Civil Defense, the volunteer organization also known as the White Helmets, inspect the site of a suspected Assad regime chemical laboratory inside a State Security facility in Damascus, Syria. Syrian hazmat team shows CNN inside of what appears to be a former chemical lab 05:18 2.jpg Palestinian doctor in regular contact with CNN is now detained by Israeli military 01:29 split thumb steal and mike.jpg 'Stop the steal': Why protesters gathered against arrest of impeached South Korean president 01:24 Seongyung thumb option 3.jpg ‘Where do you think I should do it?’: 16-year-old girl contemplates plastic surgery for K-pop dream 02:53 space object.jpg 'Space object' crashes into remote Kenyan village 00:41 NOTRE DAME THUMBNAIL 1.jpg See choir perform ‘Silent Night’ in restored Notre Dame cathedral 03:28 Efforts are made to lift the wreckage of an aircraft lying on the ground after it went off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. What we know about South Korea plane crash 02:07 20241229-quest_crash.jpg What videos of the Jeju Air jet tell Richard Quest about the crash 02:07 still_21239996_15029.302_still.jpg Video shows Jeju Air plane on South Korea runway before it bursts into flames 01:24 china warship thumb.jpg See China’s new cutting-edge warship 00:32 Inside Alabuga THUMB2.jpg The secretive factory fueling Moscow's drone war in Ukraine 04:38 still_21235093_7222087.649_still.jpg CNN analyst breaks down possible motive behind Putin's apology 01:19 South Korea's ruling People Power Party lawmakers, bottom, argue to National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, center top, during the plenary session for the impeachment vote of acting president Han Duck-soo at the National Assembly in Seoul on December 27, 2024. CNN reporter explains South Korea's political turmoil 03:11 See More Videos CNN — Ukraine has launched a counterattack in the southern Russian border region of Kursk, warning that Russia is “getting what it deserves.” Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, an official body, said Ukrainian forces had launched surprise attacks against Russian forces in several locations across Kursk, months after launching its incursion in the region. In a short Telegram post Sunday, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said: “Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves.” The Ukrainian military first launched an incursion into Kursk in August and has held much of the territory it took, despite efforts by Russian and recently deployed North Korean troops to drive Ukrainian units back across the border. The Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday that the Ukrainians had launched counterattacks to stop a Russian offensive, as reported by the official TASS news agency. It said that both had been repelled, adding that a Ukrainian assault including two tanks and 12 armored vehicles had been defeated near the village of Berdin, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border. The ministry said air power had been used against Ukrainian forces in several areas. Subsequently, a blog associated with Russia’s Northern Group of forces said that its units were moving forward, adding that there were “active hostilities in Sudzha district, the enemy is acting in mobile groups on armored vehicles, our aviation and artillery are working, small arms battles are going on.” CNN is unable to verify battlefield reports. The Kursk offensive – the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II – took Russia and Ukraine’s allies by surprise when it was launched. Kyiv’s troops advanced quickly, though Russia eventually began to push their forces back; the line of control has not changed dramatically in recent months. On Saturday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that in battles near the village of Makhnovka, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean soldiers and Russian paratroopers. A battalion is normally several hundred troops. Unofficial Russian military blogs, which often provide reliable reporting on the Ukraine conflict, acknowledged the fighting on Sunday. One said that the Ukrainians were pushing north towards Berdin. “The enemy has thrown reserves into the offensive in Kursk region,” said one blog Sunday. Video shows burnt-out Russian trucks with bodies in Kursk region 00:49 - Source: CNN “For the breakthrough, the AFU covered the area with powerful radio electronic warfare systems, hampering the work of our UAVs (drones),” the blog said. “There are small arms battles, our artillery and tanks are actively working against the enemy.” A second blog carried a similar account, saying the offensive had begun from the Sudzha area, but the Ukrainians had also landed paratroopers and intensified fighting in other directions. “In this offensive the enemy uses mine clearance trawls, tanks and other armored vehicles,” the blog said, adding that frosty ground was enabling the attack, but that was not expected to last. It added that Russian bombers were in action. Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 North Korean troops are deployed in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces occupy swathes of territory after staging the cross-border incursion. A senior Ukrainian officer told CNN that the Russians had begun a heavy bombardment of the town of Sudzha, which the Ukrainians took last August. The unofficial Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState said that Russian forces had advanced in Kurakhove and Toretsk, and published video of a column of Russian vehicles entering the village of Yelyzavetivka before coming under heavy fire. A Russian military blog claimed that a special forces detachment had raised the Russian flag on the western outskirts of Kurakhove. Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to say when Russia would recapture the southern Kursk region after a phone-in question at his year-end news conference last month. “Our guys are fighting, there is a battle going on right now, and serious battles. It is unclear why, there was no military sense in the Ukrainian Armed Forces entering the Kursk region, or holding on there now as they are doing, throwing their best units there to be slaughtered,” Putin said. One possible motive behind Kyiv’s decision to enter Russia was to improve its hand ahead of any potential future ceasefire negotiations. Incoming US President Donald Trump has said he would end the war “in 24 hours,” but not how, and has demurred over future military aid to Ukraine. Last week, Zelensky said that the North Korean military has been facing severe losses and accused Russia of sending them to the battlefield with “minimal protection.” This story has been updated with additional developments. CNN’s Rob Picheta, Gawon Bae, Victoria Butenko, Edward Szekeres and Kostyantyn Hak contributed reporting.