Russia's attacks force Ukraine to consider the possibility of withdrawing troops from Kursk - media

Ukrainian troops defending the territory under control in the Kursk region of Russia are facing a fierce onslaught from the Russian counteroffensive, which is gaining momentum, and soon commanders will have to make a difficult choice: continue the fight or retreat, reports UNN citing Politico.

"The Ukrainian command must make a choice. Leave the Kursk region, completing the operation and preserving forces, or hold on, risking losing everything," says military analyst Yan Matveev.

In his Telegram channel, he stated that the course of the battle has radically changed in recent days.

"The only real reason to hold the Kursk foothold is to use it as a bargaining chip in future negotiations. However, the loss of a significant number of experienced troops and advanced equipment in a protracted defense could seriously weaken Ukraine's military potential in other regions," he noted.

The Russian pro-military Telegram channel Two Majors claims that Russian troops have penetrated about four kilometers into the territory held by Ukraine in recent days and are trying to encircle it.

Andrey Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, acknowledged that "heavy fighting" is ongoing. He said that Russian assault units are trying to break through and seize control of an important highway running from Yunakovka in the Sumy region of Ukraine to the Ukrainian-held Sudzha.

Politico reminds that the unexpected invasion of Ukraine across the border into the Kursk region of Russia in August last year caught Russian President Vladimir Putin and his generals off guard. It also changed the narrative for Ukraine, which had been steadily losing territory to the Russians before that.

The raid demonstrated that Ukraine retained some fierce offensive capabilities.

But the invasion was not intended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his generals to turn the tide of the conflict: it was meant to serve as a moral boost for war-weary Ukrainians — to a large extent, it indeed lifted spirits — and as a bargaining chip in any subsequent peace negotiations.

In the days following the invasion, Ukrainian units formed from four brigades quickly expanded the foothold, marking the first incursion into Russia since World War II. And a week later, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Ukraine had captured nearly 1,000 square kilometers of territory within Russia.