Much remains unclear days after the Ukrainian army's latest surprise offensive in the Russian region of Kursk.

Kyiv has so far remained silent, as it did at the beginning of August 2024 when Ukraine advanced into the Russian region for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Monday that an "attempted advance" by Ukrainian forces towards the area of Bolshesoldatsky, some 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) southwest of the regional capital Kursk, had been reported.

According to Moscow, four tanks, two infantry combat tanks, 16 armored combat vehicles and a mine clearance vehicle were destroyed.

It is not possible to independently verify this information.

On Sunday morning, news broke of a new Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region.

Russian war bloggers had reported on Ukrainian "convoys" and shared videos apparently taken by drones showing several Ukrainian tanks on snow-covered fields and roads.

Some mentioned the use of Western precision missiles, which also cannot be independently verified.

For observers, however, Kyiv's offensive did not come as a shock.

In December, Colonel Markus Reisner, an Austrian military expert, told DW that such an offensive was likely.

He said that Ukraine would attempt to demonstrate to its allies the importance of continued support for the country "right before Donald........

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