Amid growing momentum for a ceasefire with Russia, Ukraine has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip.
Last August, the Ukrainian army surprised Russia by launching a cross-border attack and securing around 1300 square kilometers of territory. This victory not only lifted the spirits of Ukraine but also aimed to strengthen their position in potential future peace talks with Russia.
However, after enduring months of heavy pressure from Russian forces, with additional support from North Korean troops, Ukraine now only controls approximately 30% of the previously seized Russian land. Following a rapid turn of events nearly leading to defeat in Sudzha, Ukrainian forces are now in retreat.
North Korean soldiers changed the battlefield
According to soldiers on the ground, the defense of Kursk started faltering when North Korean troops joined the conflict towards the end of last year. Over time, the effectiveness of Pyongyang’s soldiers only increased, as reported by Ukrainian military personnel.
When one Ukrainian drone operator spotted some 40 North Korean soldiers near a tree line a few weeks ago, he said he was amazed by the physical fitness of North Korean troops. Some were capable of quickly running long distances carrying heavy ammunition, he said.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” he said.
Shortages of manpower, weaponry and ammunition also hampered Ukrainian soldiers, who said that they were outnumbered five to one, on average — and 10 to one in some areas.
Last days in the battle for Sudzha
Over the past three months, the Russians gradually wore down the Ukrainians. Under heavy air assault from the Russians, Ukrainian troops often had to carry on their backs, for 20km or 30km, reinforcements of ammunition, food and medical supplies.
It is unclear how the recent US pause in intelligence sharing influenced the battle for Kursk. Russian forces seized an estimated 166 square kilometres in Kursk between March 7 and March 10, a period that the pause was in effect.
Also last week, several hundred Russian special forces launched a surprise attack from behind Ukraine’s defensive lines after crawling 15km through a natural gas pipeline.
