On the front in Ukraine, there is a reported advance of Russian occupiers near Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Ugledar. The invaders are likely shifting their focus from encircling Pokrovsk to launching an offensive towards the administrative border of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
This information comes from RBK-Ukraine, citing a new report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Ukrainian defense forces and Russian troops continued combat operations on the main "Ukrainian foothold" in the Kursk region on January 3, but no confirmed changes along the front line were reported.
A Russian "war correspondent" claimed that Putin's forces advanced towards the northeastern part of Leonidovo and the northern part of Alexandria (both southeast of Korenovo), but ISW found no confirmation of this.
Russian bloggers reported that fighting occurred in the areas of Leonidovo, Alexandria, Viktorivka, Mykolaivo-Daryino, Kruglenky, and Kurilivka.
The Russian "war correspondent" stated that the RF troops were unable to fully seize the initiative in the Kursk region.
Russian invaders in the northern Kharkiv region continued offensive operations near Volchansk on January 2 and 3, but did not make any advances.
On January 3, a Russian "war correspondent" reported that the UAF had counterattacked four times near Liptsy.
Colonel Vadym Mysnyk, spokesperson for the operational-tactical group of troops "Seversk" of the UAF, reported on January 3 that Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups mainly operate during adverse weather conditions in border areas of northern Ukraine, supported by drones and artillery.
Mysnyk added that the level of training for the RF sabotage groups operating in this area has significantly decreased.
On January 3, Russian occupiers continued their offensive along the Kupiansk - Svatove - Kreminna line but did not advance.
A Russian "war correspondent" continued to assert on January 3 that RF troops had crossed the Zherebets River and advanced towards Ivanivka (northwest of Kreminna), but ISW has yet to find confirmation of this claim.
Russian invaders continued to attack near Zakhidne, Dvurechne, Zahryzovo, Lozova, Nadiya, Kruglyakovka, Makeevka, Ternovy, Cherneshchyna, Hryhorivka, and in the Seredynskyi forest area on January 2-3.
RF troops continued offensive actions northeast of Seversk in the area of Bilohorivka on January 2 and 3, but did not make any advances.
On January 3, Russian occupiers continued their offensive actions in the area of Chasiv Yar, but again - without any progress.
On January 2 and 3, RF troops attacked within and near Chasiv Yar itself, near Belya Gora, Predtechino, and Stupochki.
On January 3, a Russian "war correspondent" reported that the UAF was counterattacking near the Fireproof Factory in the center of Chasiv Yar.
RF troops continued their offensive actions in the Toretsk direction on January 3, but did not advance.
Russian occupiers attacked in and around Toretsk, near Deliivka, Shcherbynivka, and New York on January 2 and 3.
The commander of the UAF mortar battery operating in the Toretsk direction stated that RF troops are disguising themselves in civilian clothing to bypass Ukrainian forward positions. If confirmed, this would constitute a war crime, ISW notes.
An officer from the Ukrainian brigade operating in the Toretsk direction reported that Russian occupiers are using infantry groups numbering from 2 to 20 soldiers and increasing their use of drones with fiber optic cables that are resistant to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) measures.
The UAF officer also stated that the enemy is improving and increasing the range of drones with fiber optic cables, and these UAVs now have a range of over 10 kilometers.
The Ukrainian brigade operating in the Toretsk direction reported that Russians primarily use infantry for assault operations and prefer offensive actions during bad weather.
RF troops recently advanced in the Pokrovsk direction. Geolocation footage published on January 3 indicates that the occupiers advanced north of Novohrodivka and along the T-05-15 Pokrovsk - Novotroitske highway northeast of Shevchenko.
Russian "war correspondents" claimed that Putin's forces advanced towards Zverivo, northwest of Vozdvizhenska, 1 km north of Volkovo, and in the direction of Nadezhdinka, but ISW found no confirmation of this.
RF troops conducted offensive actions right under Pokrovsk, in the areas of Vodyane Druhe, Baranivka, Myrolyubivka, Luch, near Lisovka, Dachne, Shevchenko, Zelenyi, Novyi Trud, Pyschany, Zverynyi, Solenyi, Kotlyno, Uspenivka, and Novovasyliivka on January 2 and 3.
Ukrainian military analyst Konstantin Moshovets stated that the Russian military command is redeploying units from the east of Pokrovsk to the area of responsibility of certain forces to the south and southwest of the city.
Moshovets stated that RF troops are advancing on Kotlyno to cut off the T-04-06 (the Pokrovsk - Mezhove highway).
He also mentioned that other RF units are concentrated south of Pokrovsk, and enemy regiments are advancing along the line Novovasyliivka - Novoelyzavetivka towards Uspenivka (west of Novovasyliivka) and Nadezhdinka (west of Novoelyzavetivka).
"Moshovets' statements indicate that the Russian military command is focused on areas to the south and southwest of Pokrovsk, rather than to the east of Pokrovsk," ISW's publication states.
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War add that this aligns with their assessment that RF troops may be temporarily shifting their focus from encircling Pokrovsk from the east and west to launching an offensive westward towards the administrative border of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
It has been reported that Russian occupiers have recently advanced near Kurakhove.
Moshovets stated that the UAF likely recently fully withdrew from the Kurakhivska TPP west of Kurakhove, and that Russian occupiers captured Shevchenko (northwest of Kurakhove).
A Russian "war correspondent" claimed that Putin's forces captured Slavyanka (northwest of Kurakhove), but ISW found no confirmation of this.
RF troops conducted offensive actions right under Kurakhove, near Slavyanka, Petropavlivka, Shevchenko, and Dachne on January 2 and 3.
RF troops have recently advanced northwest of Ugledar. Geolocation footage from January 2 shows that the occupiers advanced into the fields south of Razliv (northwest of Ugledar).
On January 2 and 3, Russian invaders continued offensive operations in the areas of Yantarny, Konstantinopol, Konstantinopolskyi, and Razliv.
On January 3, RF troops continued to advance in the area of Velyka Novosilka, but did not make any advances.
On January 2 and 3, Russian occupiers attacked near Velyka Novosilka itself, in the area of Vremivka and Novosilka.
On January 3, a Russian "war correspondent" stated that the UAF periodically conducts counterattacks near Velyka Novosilka.
A representative of the Ukrainian brigade operating in the Vremivka direction reported on January 3 that the enemy is primarily focused on undermining the ground communication routes of the UAF that support troops in the directions of Kurakhove and Velyka Novosilka.
The spokesperson added that small Russian infantry groups are entering disputed "