"On January 5, at about 9:00 Moscow time, in order to stop the advance of Russian troops in the Kursk direction, the enemy launched a counterattack with an assault group consisting of two tanks, a mine clearing vehicle and 12 combat armored vehicles with landing troops in the direction of the Berdin farm. Artillery and aviation of the Sever group of forces defeated the assault group of the Ukrainian armed forces. Two tanks, a mine clearing vehicle and seven combat armored vehicles were destroyed. The operation to destroy the Ukrainian armed forces formations continues," the ministry said in a daily bulletin.
The Sever group of forces repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk direction, the ministry said.
"Over the course of the day, the AFU losses were over 340 troops, four tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, four armoured personnel carriers, 12 armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, and five mortars", the statement read.
Troops of the Sever group also defeated the formations of four mechanized, four airborne assault brigades, a marine brigade, and five territorial defense units in a number of settlements of the Kursk Region, the ministry added.
Since the beginning of combat operations in the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces have lost more than 49,010 soldiers, as well as 273 tanks, 209 infantry fighting vehicles and 153 armored personnel carriers.
"The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress", the Ministry concluded.