Russian forces poised to capture Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine: military expert

It is probably only a matter of time before the Russian troops take full control of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, said a military expert in a television interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired on Tuesday.

The 5th Brigade of the 51st of the Combined Arms of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation has entered the center of Kurakhove, said the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted on social media on the same day that the Ukrainian army was facing a difficult situation in the direction of Kurakhove.

Fierce fighting in Kurakhove has been going on for more than a month.

Kurakhove, for the Ukrainian armed forces, is an important stronghold, as well as a transport and railway hub where the Ukrainian army supplies its troops in the Donbass.

In addition, the city is the last fortified point from which Ukraine's barreled artillery can directly attack Donetsk.

For the Russian armed forces, Kurakhove is the largest city in southwestern Donbass that is still under the control of the Ukrainian army. The capture of Kurakhove would allow the Russian side to advance to Velyka Novosilka, the next important logistics hub of the Ukrainian army, while setting the stage for striking the Ukrainian-held Zaporizhzhia region from the east.

In the interview, Zhang Xuefeng, the military expert, pointed out that a Russian takeover of Kurakhove would be a further blow to the morale of the Ukrainian forces.

"There is information showing that it is probably only a matter of time before the Russian forces completely take control of Kurakhove, as they have already entered the center of Kurakhove. Once the Russian army takes full control of Kurakhove, it will once again hit the morale of the Ukrainian army and accelerate its defeat in the direction of eastern Ukraine. The ongoing ground conflicts, in the directions of both Kursk [in western Russian] and eastern Ukraine, are extremely unfavorable to Ukraine," Zhang said.

In the direction of Kursk in western Russia, about half of the area controlled by the Ukrainian forces has been recaptured by Russia, and in the direction of eastern Ukraine, the Russian army took control of an area of about 480 square kilometers in October alone, which was equivalent to the gains of the previous months. In particular, the Russian army's control of the town of Ugledar (or Vuhledar) is considered to be its biggest victory so far this year after seizing Avdiivka town near Donetsk, according to the expert.

Some even believe that it would be the end of Ukraine's defense in southern Donbass if Kurakhove is seized by Russia, according to Zhang.

Russian forces poised to capture Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine: military expert

Russian forces poised to capture Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine: military expert

Russian forces poised to capture Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine: military expert

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday said Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that the island country provided "security services" to Venezuela in exchange for oil.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump suggested Cuba should make a deal with Washington.

"There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba -- Zero! I strongly suggest they make a deal, before it is too late," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela," Trump said.

However, Trump did not specify the terms of a deal or the consequences Cuba could face.

Diaz-Canel said on X that the United States has "no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in anything", adding that the U.S. side turns everything, even human lives, into a business.

Diaz-Canel said that the United States is "hysterical" against the Caribbean nation because of the sovereign decision of the Cuban people to choose their political model.

"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic hardships we suffer should be ashamed and keep quiet," he said. "Because they know and recognize that they are the result of the draconian measures of extreme asphyxiation that the United States has imposed on us for six decades."

Cuba does not attack or threaten other countries, said Diaz-Canel, adding that the country is ready to defend itself "to the last drop of blood".

Also on Sunday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the United States behaves like a criminal and unchecked hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the entire world.

In an X post, Rodriguez said Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from markets willing to export it and develop trade relations without interference or subordination to unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States.

Venezuela on Sunday reiterated its "historic stance" toward Cuba, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the principles of "fraternity, solidarity, cooperation and complementarity", despite mounting pressure from Washington to isolate the Caribbean nation.

The Venezuelan government released a statement underscoring its support for the free exercise of self-determination and sovereignty of peoples, which it considers fundamental pillars of international relations.

It emphasized its adherence to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, highlighting the longstanding and evolving ties between Venezuela and Cuba.

The Venezuelan government stressed that relations between states should be governed by the principles of non-intervention, sovereign equality and self-determination, and that "political and diplomatic dialogue" is the only viable path to "peacefully resolve disputes of any kind".

Cuban president says ready to defend Cuba, refutes Trump's accusations