Ukraine's armed forces in the Kursk region of Russia have already lost half of the captured territory, and by the beginning of spring 2025, the Ukrainian military may withdraw from Kursk region, as they will risk being surrounded. This is reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.
Details
According to the newspaper, after a surprise offensive on the Kursk region earlier this year, Ukrainian troops lost about half of the territory they had seized, and Ukraine may lose the rest of the seized territory in a few months, depriving Kyiv of an important lever of influence in ceasefire negotiations with Russia.
“In the event of a more concerted effort by Moscow to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk, possibly as early as next month, Kyiv's forces would only be able to hold the ground until spring before being forced to retreat - or risk being surrounded,” US officials told the newspaper.
The publication emphasizes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kursk region are already facing a shortage of manpower and uncertainty about the future flow of supplies from the United States, and Ukraine is facing approximately 12,000 North Korean troops, of which more than 1,000 have already been killed or wounded. In addition, the DPRK can provide about 8,000 more soldiers to support Russia's efforts in the Kursk region.
“The timing is important, as Ukrainian officials have said they had hoped to use the territory captured in Kursk as a bargaining chip in any negotiations. Although President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, has said he wants to end the war as soon as possible, it could take months for the two sides to agree on a ceasefire given the complexity of the situation with both Ukraine and Russia,” the newspaper adds.
Two of the publication's interlocutors expressed hope that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy would order a retreat from Kursk quickly enough to avoid significant losses.
Recall
Since the beginning of the day, December 27, 100 combat engagements took place in the frontline. The highest activity is observed in the Pokrovsk sector, where the enemy made 34 attempts to attack. Ukrainian troops repelled 11 attacks in the Kursk region.