Ukraine strategizes Kursk pullback amid mounting Russian pressure
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the Ukrainian army continues its operations in the Kursk region of Russia and that the military command prioritizes the safety of soldiers. He responded to reports that his country's armed forces had withdrawn from the Russian town of Sudzha.
Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region are carrying out their assigned duties while Russia intensifies its pressure on them. He emphasized that the military command is taking necessary actions to preserve soldiers' lives to the greatest extent possible.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine must prepare for increased pressure from Russia in the coming days.
Zelensky believes the situation extends beyond rising tensions in the Kursk region. He suggests that intimidation tactics, potentially including nuclear threats, will be employed. He emphasizes that Russia has a well-established strategy for such actions ahead of diplomatic negotiations. According to him, it is crucial to assess the situation realistically and respond to genuine threats rather than merely focusing on informational pressure.
Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday, citing maps from the DeepState project, which tracks the positions of Ukrainian and Russian troops, that Ukrainian units had withdrawn from Russia's Sudzha. However, reports indicate they remain in villages west of this locality in the Kursk region.
Ukrainians entered the Kursk region on August 6, 2024
The "Moscow Times" reported that the decision to withdraw is part of a larger operation aimed at avoiding the complete rout of Ukrainian forces in the region. Analyst Jan Matveev emphasizes that this operation allowed Ukraine to preserve its main forces and avoid defeat on this part of the front.
Unexpectedly for Moscow, Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6, 2024. At the time, it was explained that one goal of this offensive was to compel the Russians to divert some of their forces from the occupied Donbas in eastern Ukraine to this region. Kyiv currently controls approximately 490 square kilometres of the Russian region.
