In an evolving situation, Ukrainian troops are conducting a strategic withdrawal from Russia’s Kursk region as of March 2025. The retreat, described by soldiers as “catastrophic,” marks a significant turning point in Ukraine’s offensive operation that began in August 2024.
Location and Current Developments
The conflict is concentrated in the strategic Kursk region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy oblast. Ukrainian forces have lost control of Sudzha, the largest town they held, and are withdrawing under heavy fire. Russian forces have reclaimed approximately two-thirds of the 1,000 sq km that Ukraine initially captured, with Russia now claiming the situation is “fully under control.”
Key Players in the Conflict
On one side, Russian military units have amassed an estimated 70,000 troops to retake the area, including approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers according to military experts. They are employing advanced drone technology to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines. Opposing them are Ukrainian forces, estimated at about 12,000 troops, many of whom were Ukraine’s best-trained soldiers equipped with Western-supplied weapons including tanks and armored vehicles.
Impact on the Military Operation
Ukrainian soldiers report that retreat routes are “littered with hundreds of destroyed cars, armored vehicles and ATVs.” One soldier described the withdrawal as a scene “like a horror movie.” The single major supply route between Sudzha and Ukraine’s Sumy region has been compromised by constant drone surveillance and attacks, making daytime movement nearly impossible.
Soldiers Testimonies
Five Ukrainian soldiers provided accounts to the BBC, describing panic and a “collapse of the front.” They report swarms of Russian drones attacking “around the clock,” with multiple drones visible simultaneously. Many troops have been forced to retreat on foot, walking 15-20km through hostile territory.
Military Dynamics and Projections
Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, maintains that Ukrainian forces remain in Kursk and have pulled back to “more favorable positions.” President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the Kursk operation “accomplished its task” by forcing Russia to pull troops from the east and relieve pressure on Pokrovsk. However, any hopes that Ukraine would be able to trade Kursk territory for some of its own have significantly diminished.
As the situation develops, questions remain about the strategic value of the operation and its costs, with one soldier estimating that thousands of Ukrainian troops have died since the initial incursion in August.