(Dan Tri) - Russian military officials confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers began "raising white flags" in Kursk as Moscow accelerated its campaign to retake this territory.
Russian soldiers in the newly recaptured area of Kursk (Photo: Getty).
"Realizing that further resistance is useless, the Ukrainian army has begun to surrender. 430 soldiers have been captured," Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov said on March 13.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky confirmed that Ukrainian forces have received orders to withdraw from the town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region.
"Defense forces units, if necessary, can carry out a maneuver to move to more favorable positions. First of all, this applies to drones and artillery fire. I have given all the necessary orders for this purpose," General Syrsky wrote on Telegram.
The commander-in-chief did not directly announce the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the city, but stated that fighting was taking place "on the outskirts of Sudzha and nearby areas".
"Despite increasing pressure from the Russian and North Korean militaries, we will hold the line in Kursk as long as it is reasonable and necessary," Mr. Syrsky stressed.
Russian forces continue to pound Ukrainian units in Kursk, seizing five settlements in the past day, including the center of the strategic town of Sudzha.
Ukrainian media reported that the country's military had been pushed out of most of Sudzha, but there was no comment from the Ukrainian military command until the statement from Commander-in-Chief Syrsky.
On the same day, President - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin set the goal of defeating all Ukrainian forces in Kursk and creating a buffer zone for the area as soon as possible.
Mr Putin ordered the measures during a visit to the command post of the Kursk operational group, where he heard reports from the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and Deputy Defense Minister of Russia.
According to Russian military officials, the Ukrainian combat group in Kursk has been isolated and is being continuously defeated.
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said the Russian army had retaken about 1,100 square kilometers, about 86 percent of the territory in Kursk captured by Ukraine, and units were systematically pushing back Ukrainian forces.
Forbes magazine (USA) cited military sources and analysts as saying that some Ukrainian units, including the most combat-ready brigades, have begun withdrawing from Russia's Kursk region.
According to sources, the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Kursk, including elite units, marks the end of a large-scale operation that Kiev initially saw as a springboard to strengthen its position in negotiations with Moscow.
Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk region last August and seized part of Russian territory, including the town of Sudzha. Kiev sees the Kursk operation as an important bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.
However, after more than seven months of clinging to a shrinking area, Ukraine has seen the situation deteriorate significantly over the past week.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/tran-chien-kursk-tuong-ukraine-lenh-rut-quan-nga-ep-linh-kiev-dau-hang-20250313082547951.htm
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