Ukrainian soldiers spoke about how the retreat from the Kursk region went

BBC has spoken with five Ukrainian soldiers who participated in the Ukrainian army's operation in the Kursk direction. The soldiers connected with journalists via social networks and messengers, describing the "catastrophic" retreat that took place amid heavy shelling, among destroyed military equipment columns, and under constant strikes from Russian drones.

The names of the military personnel have been changed for security reasons. The material discusses events that occurred from March 9 to March 14. Some soldiers spoke about the "collapse" that followed the loss of Sudja – the largest city that Ukrainian forces had held in the Kursk region for seven months.

The Russian armed forces had begun the next phase of their operation to eliminate the Ukrainian foothold in the Kursk region on March 8. By March 14, Ukrainian armed forces units had left a large part of the foothold, suffering significant losses (at the same time, US and Russian officials claimed that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers had allegedly been encircled without providing any evidence).

Due to restrictions on going to the front line, it is impossible to have a complete picture of the situation. Ukrainian soldiers describe the events that occurred before their eyes.

Volodimir: "Drones attack day and night"

On March 9, Volodimir sent a message to the BBC via telegram, stating that he was still in Sudja, where "panic and collapse" reigned.

"Troops and equipment columns are trying to exit," he says. "Some of them are being burned by Russian drones on the way. It is impossible to go out during the day."

There was only one main road connecting Sudja and Ukraine's Sumy region for transporting people and equipment.

According to Volodimir, a month ago, it was relatively safe to move along this road. By March 9, it had "completely come under enemy fire control – drones began flying day and night."

"You can encounter two or three drones in a minute. That's a lot," he explained.

"We had all our logistical support through the Sudja-Sumy route," says Volodimir. "Everyone knew that the Russians would try to block it. But this turned out to be an unexpected situation for our command."

While the material was being prepared, as Russia was on the verge of retaking Sudja, Volodimir wrote that the Russian army was putting pressure on Ukrainian armed forces from three directions.

Maksim: "Destroyed equipment complicated the retreat"

By March 11, Ukrainian forces were trying to prevent the main route from being cut off, according to messages sent by Maksim via telegram.

"A few days ago, we received orders to leave the defense line in an organized manner," he says, adding that Russia had mobilized significant forces, "including many North Korean soldiers," to capture the city.

According to military experts' calculations, Russia had gathered up to 70,000 soldiers in the Kursk region to regain control, including nearly 12,000 North Koreans.

It also sent the best units of drone operators, kamikaze drones, and FPV drones to "take control of the main logistics routes under fire."

The Russian forces also used unmanageable fiber-optic drones here with the help of electronic warfare systems.

According to Maksim, as a result, "the enemy managed to destroy dozens of pieces of equipment, and their remnants caused congestion on supply routes."

^{A Ukrainian column moving from Ukraine's Sumy region towards the Kursk region in August last year}
Anton: "Catastrophic retreat"

On that day, Anton described the situation on March 11 as "catastrophic." He is the third soldier BBC spoke with, who served in the Kursk front command staff.

Anton also drew journalists' attention to the damage caused by Russian drones. "Previously, we had an advantage in drones; now we don't," he said. Anton listed more accurate airstrikes and a larger number of soldiers as other advantages of the Russian army.

He emphasized that supply routes had been cut off: "Logistics is no longer functioning – organizing the delivery of weapons, ammunition, food, and water is now impossible."

According to Anton, he managed to leave Sudja on foot at night: "We were on the brink of death several times. Drones were constantly flying in the sky."

He predicted the complete loss of the Ukrainian foothold in the Kursk region. "From a military point of view, this direction has come to an end. There is no point in holding it anymore."

According to Western officials' calculations, nearly 12,000 Ukrainian soldiers participated in the operation in the Kursk region. They were the best-trained units equipped with Western weapons, including tanks and armored vehicles.

Russian "military journalists" have released videos showing that some of this equipment was destroyed or captured. On March 13, Russia announced that the situation in the Kursk region was "under complete control," and that Ukrainian armed forces had abandoned a large part of their equipment.

Dmitro: "A step from death"

The fourth interviewee of the publication, soldier Dmitro, compared the retreat from the Kursk region on March 11-12 to a scene from a horror movie: "The roads are full of destroyed hundreds of vehicles, armored equipment, and motor transport. There are many wounded and dead."

In many cases, vehicles were relentlessly pursued by numerous drones.

Dmitro recounted how he escaped when the vehicle he was in got stuck in the mud. When he and his comrades tried to push the car out, they were attacked by an FPV drone.

The drone did not hit the vehicle but injured one of the soldiers. According to Dmitro, they had to hide in the forest for two hours until help arrived.

He stated that many retreated on foot: "The guys covered a distance of 15-20 km."

According to the soldier, the situation had turned from "complex and critical" to "catastrophic."

In his report on March 14, Dmitro added: "Everything is over in the Kursk region... The operation ended unsuccessfully."

According to his calculations, since the Ukrainian armed forces crossed the border in August 2024, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the Kursk region.

^{A Russian soldier in Sudja. March 15, 2025
Stanislav Krasilnikov / RIA Novosti / Sputnik / Profimedia}
Artyom: "We fought like lions"

The fifth soldier interviewed by the publication does not assess the situation as pessimistically.

On March 13, Artyom sent a message from a military hospital, where he was being treated for injuries sustained in a drone attack.

According to him, he fought in the area of the western village of Loknya from Sudja, where Ukrainian forces put up strong resistance and "fought like lions."

In Artyom's opinion, the operation was partially successful.

"Importantly, Ukrainian armed forces have created a buffer zone, which prevents the Russians from entering Sumy," he says.

^{Sudja. March 14, 2025
Sergey Bobilev / RIA Novosti / Sputnik / Profimedia}
What will happen next with the Ukrainian operation?

Ukrainian armed forces commander Oleksandr Sirskiy emphasized that the troops are "retreating to more favorable positions," remaining in the Kursk region, and will hold the territories "as long as it is appropriate and necessary."

According to him, during the operation, the Russian army lost over 50,000 people, including those killed, wounded, and captured.

However, the current situation is significantly different from that of August last year. According to military analysts' calculations, two-thirds of the 1,000 square kilometers captured in the initial phase had been lost by March.

Ukraine is not expected to succeed in reclaiming the territories it occupied in the Kursk region.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Kursk operation, in his opinion, had "fulfilled its task" by forcing Russia to withdraw its troops from the east and reduce pressure in the Pokrovsk direction.

But it remains unclear what sacrifices this has come at.