In addition to missiles, Ukraine has used long-range drones of its own build to attack Russian energy assets. A Ukrainian drone hit a terminal for gas condensate transshipment in the port of Ust-Luga,

Russia’s Defense Ministry is claiming that its troops in eastern Ukraine have captured the town of Kurakhove after a monthslong battle.

Russia has claimed that its forces captured a battered but strategic town in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, a day after Kyiv launched a counterattack in the Russian region of Kursk.

Ukraine has denied Russian claims that they have captured a key town in the eastern Donetsk region, but admitted that the situation looks desperate. Russia claimed control of the eastern town of Kurakhove on Monday,

"The situation in Kurakhove is really quite difficult right now, because a significant part of the city has been destroyed," Khortytsia group of forces spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said on national television Jan.

Ukraine’s ambitious plan to reclaim Kurakhove from Russian control has been decisively thwarted. Despite determined efforts, the Ukrainian army's attempts to retake the region were crushed by Russia’s overwhelming force.

Ukraine claimed on Tuesday that its forces had conducted a “high-precision” strike on a Russian military command post in the Kursk region during “combat operations”. However, Kyiv later backtracked and said it had launched fresh offensive operations in the area.