Approximately three-quarters of Ukrainian forces inside Russia are now almost completely encircled. According to Reuters, the Ukrainian situation in the Russian Kursk region has sharply deteriorated in recent days following Moscow’s counteroffensive. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who infiltrated the Russian Kursk region last August are nearly surrounded by Russian forces there.
In their major offensive, Kyiv had hoped to use its military presence on Russian territory as an asset in potential peace negotiations, Reuters reported. Heavy fighting is ongoing on the outskirts of the town of Sudzha, which is held by the Ukrainians.
The news agency states that the latest maps show the Ukrainian situation in Kursk has sharply deteriorated in the last three days, after Russian forces regained territory as part of a counteroffensive that has nearly cut Ukrainian forces in two and severed the main group from its key supply lines.
This dire situation for Ukraine comes after Washington halted intelligence sharing with Kyiv, raising the possibility that Ukrainian forces will be forced to retreat back into Ukraine or risk capture and destruction. “The situation for Ukraine in Kursk is very bad,” said Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst from the Finnish group “Black Bird.”
Jan Matvejev, another analyst, said that “Ukraine is facing a difficult choice.”
About three-quarters of Ukrainian forces inside Russia are now almost completely encircled, according to the latest maps published on Friday by the Ukrainian military blog “Deep State.” This involves approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers!
It has been shown that troops have joined the remaining Ukrainian forces closer to the Russian border via a land corridor about 1 km long and less than 500 meters wide at its narrowest point, while Russian forces are trying to cut them off.
Deep State reported that Russian forces are also putting pressure on Kyiv’s positions in the border area with the Sumy region and are trying to block the supply of Ukrainian forces within the Kursk region.
Russia carried out powerful ballistic missile and drone strikes across Ukraine the day after the US stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv, which had previously provided warnings of attacks.
The strikes came early Friday morning as a Ukrainian delegation prepares for a meeting next week with US counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible end to the war, reported Luke Harding and Dan Sabbagh.
In a post on his “Truth Social” network, Donald Trump criticized the latest Russian bombardment.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely pounding Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering major banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and final peace agreement are reached,” Trump wrote.
Trump also added that he finds it “easier” to deal with Russia than with Ukraine in efforts to end the war and that he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I trust him. Honestly, I find it harder to deal with Ukraine, and they don’t have the cards in their hands. Maybe it will be easier to deal with Russia,” Trump said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Russia’s strikes by calling for a ceasefire that would cover air and sea.
Izvor: Kurir, Photo: AP (Kostiantyn Liberov)