The Russian Defense Ministry alleged on Jan. 6 that Ukrainian forces were stopped, and their primary units were destroyed near Berdin, a settlement along a road leading northeast to the city of Kursk.Ukraine has not commented on the claims and provided limited information on the operation. General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov has been serving as the Kremlin’s deputy defense minister and was tasked to head Russia’s border defenses and lead Moscow’s mercenary projects in Africa. According to the Telegraph, he was sent to Kursk Oblast "hours" after Ukraine began its maneuvers on Jan. 5.The general also survived an assassination attempt with life-threatening injuries while serving as the Kremlin-backed president of Ingushetia, one of Russia's most unstable regions. Ukrainian troops made a surprise incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, capturing about 1,300 square kilometers of territory as a potential bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.Although Kyiv has since lost control of half of the initially seized area, fighting in the region remains intense.Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strikes 3 Russian air defense systems in single day; 3,800 North Korean troops killed, injured in Kursk OblastKey developments on Jan.