Ukraine Withdraws from Kursk Region After Months of Fierce Fighting
Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory, launched in August 2024, ends with an orderly retreat as Russian forces reclaim key areas, raising questions about the operation's strategic value.
- Ukraine launched a surprise offensive into Russia's Kursk region in August 2024, seizing 1,300 square kilometers, including the strategic town of Sudzha.
- The operation aimed to boost Ukrainian morale, disrupt Russian military operations, and serve as a bargaining chip in peace negotiations, though its objectives shifted over time.
- Russian forces, bolstered by conscripts, elite units, and North Korean troops, launched a counteroffensive in September, gradually recapturing territory over the following months.
- Advanced Russian tactics, including the use of fiber-optic drones, severely disrupted Ukrainian supply lines and contributed to their retreat from Kursk by March 2025.
- While the operation temporarily diverted Russian resources, analysts remain divided on whether the incursion achieved meaningful strategic gains for Ukraine.
The Telegraph 
Ukrinform 
The Independent 
NDTV 
