Politics
NEW: Ukraine Is On The Verge Of A Colossal Military Disaster After Latest Russian Advance
Upwards of 10,000 Ukrainian troops are at risk of encirclement along the Kursk front as a result of recent Russian advances that have choked remaining supply lines and escape points, according to recent reports from the front.
In 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a surprise attack on Russian territory in the Kursk Oblast. In order to do so, the Ukrainian Armed Forces diverted limited resources from the nation’s east in order to launch an operation that, according to Russian and Eurasian affairs expert Glenn Diesen, was designed as publicity move for western audiences.
Despite minimal gains and heavy casualties, Ukrainian leaders seemingly believed that an advance on Russia proper would give the appearance of success to western partners and entice them to provide more aid.
Now — much like the ill-fated counteroffensive in 2023 — large pockets of Ukrainian troops are at risk of encirclement as the Kursk offensive stalls out. “We can confirm the quantity of attacks increased with glide bombs, Shahed [Iranian-made drones] and [first-person view] drones,” Captain Alexander Kabanov, deputy commander of the electronic warfare battalion of the 15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade, said in a statement to the New York Post.
Ukrainian President Zelensky meets with troops along the Bakhmut front in December 2022
Ukrainian military sources further confirmed that Russian troops have made swift advances over largely flat farmland in recent days, placing roughly 10,000 Ukrainian troops at risk of encirclement. “Behind those positions, the land was empty [and undefended], so they made a swift raid — covered by artillery and drones from the rear — and cut that part off,” a second Ukrainian military source told the outlet.
In addition to the advances, Russia launched massive drone and artillery strikes across the whole of Ukraine, targeting both military and infrastructure sites ahead of the latest advance. As a result of the impending encirclement, multiple Ukrainian sources have indicated that a full withdrawal from Kursk is expected to be ordered within two weeks.
Kubanov conceded that while the Kursk operation initially caught the Russians off-guard and caused them to divert resources, Kiev was also forced to divert crucial military assets from the frontlines in the nation’s east. “A greater effect was probably expected,” he said, adding that the “victory” for Ukraine had been the “political and psychological effect” of the Kursk operation on Putin.
“Capturing Sudzha is an achievement, a certain demonstration of strength and capabilities,” Kabanov said. “Did this actually achieve anything in the long term? As we see — no.”
While speaking on the condition of anonymity, multiple Ukrainian soldiers told the New York Post that the Kursk offensive is “political,” adding that the operation was causing higher casualty rates than it was worth.
“Compared to other areas and clashes, it is clear that for Russia, the issue of pushing our troops out of the Kursk region is of fundamental importance, therefore the intensity of the fighting and the number of forces and equipment involved is high,” Kabanov said.
Ukrainian President Zelensky and his government had hoped to use the offensive as leverage in treaty discussions with Russia, which have stalled in recent days after a contentious White House meeting. “The bargaining position is effectively moot since peace settlements are extremely unlikely in any event,” said Paul Schwennesen, an American military veteran and strategist who previously volunteered with Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
