Putin tasks Russian army to capture Kurakhove by New Year - General Malomuzh

He shared this in an interview on Espreso TV.

"Strategically, Putin has tasked the capture of Kurakhove within the next few days, even before the New Year. They aim to cut off the route connecting Kurakhove, which is critical for the logistics of weapons, equipment, and ammunition supply to our troops on the Zaporizhzhia front. Then they plan to move south to encircle the broader Pokrovsk area. In the next 2-3 days, they aim to break through with assault groups, and then proceed with the semi-encirclement of Pokrovsk. The goal is to encircle our forces and either push our troops out of Pokrovsk or strike them with attacks, ultimately surrounding our grouping and forcing a decision on a possible breakthrough or even attacking our forces," he said.

Malomuzh noted that the enemy’s efforts are not succeeding easily, as Ukraine's Defense Forces are repelling attacks and destroying a significant number of enemy troops and equipment.

"The situation around Kurakhove is difficult, but we maintain strong positions in certain sectors and continue to destroy the enemy. The losses of the Russians in the last 24 hours were 1,540, with approximately 650 of them in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk directions. They have brought in large reserves, but we continue to destroy them, especially the manpower, along with dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry fighting vehicles," he explained.

Malomuzh emphasized that while the enemy is pushing forward, Ukraine's General Staff is preparing appropriate countermeasures.

"We are conducting defensive operations in sectors of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, even restoring positions in some localities. The enemy has gathered much more weaponry, equipment, and troops, but we are continuing to fight from a semi-encircled or encircled position. The General Staff is preparing for possible de-blocking operations," he added.

He believes that the next few days will be crucial, and the key is to establish a strong defense and prevent the enemy from advancing strategically.

"The next few days will be decisive. It’s crucial to maintain our forces while not allowing the enemy to carry out a full offensive. We are actively receiving military supplies from the U.S. in real-time, including weapons, equipment, and ammunition. Creating a strong defense with new reserves of advanced equipment will help us hold the line and possibly launch counterattacks," Malomuzh concluded.

• On December 25, the OSINT project DeepState reported about the situation near Sloviansk and Petropavlivka, located northwest of Kurakhove. 
• On December 24, Russian forces were actively storming the Kurakhove direction, and Ukraine’s Defense Forces lost some positions.