If the Armed Forces of Ukraine retreat from Kursk, the Russian Federation will launch a large-scale offensive and seize even more territories - WP.

The Ukrainian forces are retreating from Kursk, Russian troops are following them

If the Ukrainian forces leave Kursk, 60,000 Russian soldiers will be stationed in the new territory in Ukraine. This was reported by The Washington Post.

According to the article, Ukraine attaches great importance to Kursk, which indicates the significance for the Ukrainian side of the Russian land, especially in the context of the peace negotiations that Trump plans to conduct.

“Nine days before the inauguration of the newly elected President Donald Trump, Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a tense struggle for control over part of the Kursk region of Russia, which is expected to become a key point in the negotiations in the peace talks that Trump promised to conduct,” it is reported.

The article notes that Ukraine has made small successes in certain areas near Kursk, while Russia continues to advance and exclude captives. Ukraine has held positions in the region since August, but over Time is losing territory due to active shelling by Russia, which is trying to regain control.

It is worth noting that in January 2025, the Ukrainian forces launched an offensive in Kursk by attacking the villages of Berdin and Velyke Soldatske. This move was unexpected for Russia, as noted by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

Russian media spread information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine's advance in several directions. The army made a counterattack in the area of Leonidiv on the northwest of Sudzhy and Rus'koe Porichnoe, Cherkaskoe Porichnoe, and Martynivka on the northeast of Sudzhy.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation called the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine a “counterattack” aimed at stopping the Russians in the Kursk region. According to Russian media, Ukrainians used two tanks, 12 armored fighting vehicles, and engineering equipment during the assault on the Berdin farm in Kursk.