The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine saw intensified clashes in the Kursk region in western Russia on Tuesday, as the Russian side claimed its forces have taken control of almost all the settlements in the region.
According to a report from the Russian news agency TASS on Tuesday, Deputy Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' Main Military-Political Department Apty Alaudinov said that Russian forces have re-captured almost all the settlements in the Kursk region with significant military advances.
On the same day, the Ukrainian side stated that its forces had repelled 18 Russian attacks in the Kursk region.
On other fronts, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported Tuesday that Russian forces had stricken Ukrainian personnel and equipment in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, Donetsk in eastern Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours. The Russian ministry also claimed to have targeted Ukrainian oil facilities, military airfield infrastructure, and drone warehouses.
Meanwhiles, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported attacks toward Russian forces in the directions of Kharkiv and Kupiansk.
Serhii Naiev, commander of a Ukrainian tactical group in Donbas, said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces have withdrawn troops from one frontline in the Donetsk region, which he described as an unfavorable position. He also added that this action would not only save the lives of soldiers, but also improve defensive capabilities.
Russia claims control of almost all settlements in Kursk region
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.
In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.
Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.
The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.
Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.
Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.
He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.
He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.
Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation
