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Ukraine’s Kursk Incursion Ends in Retreat, Leaving Questions and Losses
Ukraine’s withdrawal from Kursk sparks debate over the cost of the offensive. With heavy losses and missing soldiers, was it worth it?
ND
by News Desk
2025-03-22
Ukraine’s Kursk Incursion Ends in Retreat, Leaving Questions and Losses

Four months after launching an unexpected offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine has withdrawn from most of the territory it briefly held, leaving behind unanswered questions, heavy casualties, and a divided public.

For Mariia Pankova, 25, the retreat is personal. She last spoke with her friend Pavlo Humeniuk, a 24-year-old combat engineer in Ukraine’s 47th Magura Brigade, in early December. Days later, he went missing near the village of Novoivanivka in Kursk. Now, four months on, Pankova still searches online for any sign of him.

"I’m just not sure it was worth it," she told Reuters, tears streaming down her face. "We’re not invaders. We just need our territories back, we do not need the Russian one."

A Bold But Risky Move

Ukraine’s attack on Kursk in August 2024 stunned Russia and the world. It was the largest assault on sovereign Russian territory since World War II, initially allowing Ukrainian troops to seize 1,376 square kilometers (531 square miles). But with limited manpower, the offensive quickly stalled.

Logistical challenges and Russia’s numerical superiority soon became evident. "From the very beginning, logistics was seriously complicated because as we entered the Kursk region, we ensured sufficient depth but we did not ensure sufficient width," explained Ukrainian lawmaker Serhiy Rakhmanin, a member of the parliament's security and defense committee.

Russia’s Counterattack and Ukraine’s Retreat

Russia responded by reinforcing its positions with elite troops and drone units, reportedly aided by North Korean forces. By late 2024, the Ukrainian foothold in Kursk had shrunk, and in March 2025, Kyiv confirmed its withdrawal from the city of Sudzha.

Ukraine’s General Staff defended the operation, stating that it successfully diverted Russian forces, prevented cross-border attacks, and resulted in significant Russian casualties. The army also claimed to have captured nearly 1,000 Russian soldiers, some of whom were later swapped for Ukrainian prisoners. However, critics argue the incursion was a costly gamble with little long-term gain.

Public Divide Over Ukraine’s Strategy

The retreat has deepened divisions in Ukraine over whether the operation was a necessary blow to Russia or a reckless venture that drained resources. Some soldiers, like 32-year-old Oleksii Deshevyi—who lost his hand in Kursk—believe the offensive was a mistake. "We should not have started this operation at all," he said from a rehabilitation center in Kyiv.

Others, including top military officials, maintain that the offensive dealt a psychological and strategic blow to Russia. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said it forced Moscow to divert some of its best troops, weakening its ability to advance elsewhere.

Geopolitical Implications and the Path Forward

Ukraine’s retreat from Kursk comes as U.S. President Donald Trump engages in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war. However, with Russia still occupying a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, many Ukrainians remain skeptical of any peace deal that does not guarantee their sovereignty.

For Pankova, the loss of Kursk is overshadowed by the personal cost of the war. As she continues searching for answers about Pavlo’s fate, she considers enlisting herself.

"Every time that someone tries to, let's say, sell some piece of Ukraine, they just have not to forget what we already gave. How many lives our people gave for that," she said.
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Ukraine

Geopolitics

UkraineConflict

RussiaUkraineWar

Kursk
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