(The Post News)– In a significant development in the war, Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that was held by Ukraine previously in the Kursk province. The regaining of Sudzha, one of the remaining Ukrainian strong points in the region, is a major symbolic victory for Russia as it advances towards Ukrainian lines along the Russo-Ukrainian border under the defence ministry of Moscow.
In a press statement released on Thursday, Russia’s defence ministry announced that “troops of the North military grouping liberated the villages of Melovoy, Podol, and Sudzha” in an operation. The American-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) further confirmed the village of Sudzha to be liberated and mentioned further gains of the Russian army to the village of Zaoleshenka, to the south of Sudzha.
Sudzha, a pre-war settlement with a population of around 5,000, was one of the last remaining populated settlements in the Kursk region that was still in Ukraine’s control. The capture of it by Russian forces is a huge blow to Ukraine’s territorial bargaining position, especially since there is increasing pressure to initiate peace talks to end the war.
During a standard briefing Thursday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that soon all Kursk region territory held by Ukrainian forces would be liberated. “President Putin has emphasised that this action should be completed as rapidly as possible,” Peskov said. “All the time necessary to save as many lives, both military and civilian, as possible will be taken. But there is no doubt that the Kursk region will be fully liberated in the near future.”
The comments follow President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to the Kursk region on Wednesday, his first visit to the region since last year’s surprise incursion into Ukraine. Wearing a military uniform, Putin met soldiers at the frontline and vowed to “fully liberate” the Kursk region as soon as possible.
The increased Russian push in the Kursk region occurred as the world of intelligence saw a decisive change. The US had temporarily suspended its military and intelligence support to Ukraine, a move attributed to the recent Russian gains. The US restored intelligence assistance and military support to Ukraine on March 11, following a deal on a 30-day ceasefire.
After the US intelligence shutdown, Russian forces launched a series of assaults against Ukrainian lines, with an emphasis on the encirclement of Ukrainian troops in Kursk. The cutoff of intelligence was reported to have cost the Ukrainians valuable information, such as the sighting of Russian air movement and precision targeting of Russian lines.
Putin’s surprise trip to Kursk underscored the region’s growing importance in the broader war. The border region, adjacent to Ukraine, has witnessed intense fighting in recent months as Russian forces struggle to take back all of Kursk. Moscow’s declaration that the operation is at its “final stage” only heightens the Kremlin’s rhetoric.
In the meantime, Ukrainian officials have insisted that despite setbacks, their forces are not under imminent encirclement in the region. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii rejected claims of an imminent encirclement, saying reinforcements, including drones and electronic warfare support, had been dispatched.
The broader international geopolitical context is also evolving. As a result of the protracted nature of the war, European nations are increasing their support to Ukraine. The Defence Minister of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, spoke about bolstering Ukraine’s defence capacities with officials from the Nordic and Baltic countries, primarily by means of increased arm production and shipment. One of Europe’s strongest allies, Germany, also pledged to increase defence spending fairly considerably in response to the war.
Despite the hardship, Ukraine has not remained inactive in increasing the war. Deeper Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory have persisted without letup, including the recent drone attack on Moscow and the Diaghilev airbase in Ryazan that killed three people and wounded 18, according to reports.
Ukrainian troops also attacked some Russian industrial and fuel facilities in the past few days. These attacks, directed at dampening Russia’s war-making capacity and logistics, reflect Ukraine’s determination to continue opposing Russian advances, even as their own military situation in Kursk becomes increasingly untenable.
As military and diplomatic pressure mount, the future of the Kursk region and its role in the wider war are on a knife-edge. Russian forces’ recapture of Sudzha is another step in a war that has shown few indications of its conclusion. As Kyiv’s territorial negotiating position grows weaker and Moscow’s resolve to liberate Kursk more firm, the stage is set for yet further high-level negotiations—if not on the battlefield, then through diplomacy.
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