By Marc Santora and Liubov Sholudko
Months after Ukrainian forces crossed the border in the first ground invasion of Russia since World War II, both armies are now locked in some of the most intense combat of the conflict, battling for territory and strategic advantage.
The severity of the confrontations brings to mind some of the darkest sieges in eastern Ukraine over the previous three years, particularly in towns like Bakhmut and Avdiivka, now synonymous with widespread carnage for soldiers on either side.
The conflict in the Kursk region carries added significance due to the area’s potential influence on any ceasefire discussions. With the uncertainty surrounding a new U.S. president who intends to end the war swiftly, although without clarifying the conditions, Ukraine is eager to leverage Russian territory in negotiations.
Meanwhile, Russian forces, bolstered by North Korean reinforcements, aim to seize that territory from Ukraine.
“The Russians are determined to capture this territory at any cost, dedicating all their resources to it, while we are doing everything in our power to defend it,” remarked Sgt. Oleksandr, 46, a commander of a Ukrainian infantry platoon. “We’re holding our ground, inflicting devastation — so much so that it’s hard to even process.”
He and fellow soldiers, opting to use only first names or codenames due to military protocol, indicated that encounters with North Korean infantry have intensified the battles beyond previous levels.
“The situation deteriorated significantly once the North Koreans started reinforcing,” stated Jr. Sgt. Oleksii, 30, a platoon leader. “They are massing pressure on our fronts, identifying vulnerabilities and breaching them.”
With an estimated 12,000 North Korean soldiers, Russia has reclaimed around half of the territory it lost during the summer. Recent offensives have further encroached on regions controlled by Ukraine.
However, Ukrainian forces have also launched counterattacks in the past days, working to secure an area west of Sudzha, a small town in Russia located about 6 miles from the border, which has emerged as a stronghold for Ukrainian forces that captured roughly 200 square miles in August.
“If they continue to apply pressure and we don’t push back, the enemy will start to feel a sense of dominance,” noted Andrii, 44, a military intelligence officer. “If you’re repeatedly struck without retaliating, the attacker begins to feel psychologically at ease, even relaxed.”
While Russian forces have largely impeded the assaults, the fighting persists, leaving the situation highly unpredictable, soldiers stated.
The ferocity of the clashes can be seen on the road leading to the Russian frontier: A continuous flow of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and various vehicles passed by wrecked and destroyed equipment.
Russian aerial bombs and rockets detonated violently in border settlements, while Ukrainian missiles were observed soaring across the sky in opposition.
Tens of thousands of drones also hunted for targets, altering the battlefield dynamics, although Ukraine has made advances in electronic warfare capabilities, reducing the effectiveness of drones dependent on radio signals. Russia has inundated the area with drones directed by ultrathin fiber-optic cables, capable of flying over ten miles.
Currently, the most effective defense against such drones, according to Ukrainian soldiers, is a shotgun.
The renewed hostilities unfold against a backdrop of political uncertainty. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spent months during his campaign challenging the notion of U.S. military support to Ukraine. He has expressed a desire to conclude the war swiftly but has not specified how.
Russian forces have been on the offensive in eastern Ukraine for over a year, achieving steady progress despite staggering losses.
With its incursion, Ukraine seeks to create a protective buffer zone for hundreds of thousands of civilians in Sumy, situated less than 20 miles from the Russian border. Ukraine also aims to alleviate pressure on the eastern front by drawing Russian troops back onto their own soil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that this campaign has conveyed a powerful message to the world, demonstrating that Ukraine is capable of more than merely defending.
“It’s one of our victories, I believe one of the greatest victories, not only of last year but throughout the course of the war,” Zelenskyy remarked on Thursday in Germany during discussions with representatives from nations offering military assistance to Ukraine.
Nonetheless, some military analysts have warned that Ukraine’s campaign in Kursk could stretch its forces thin and result in losing ground in the Donbas region.
Many soldiers engaged in the Kursk fight feel that the harrowing losses in eastern Ukraine would have been even more devastating without their efforts.
“We must recognize that the Russians are deploying their most elite troops and best reserves in this region,” commented Capt. Oleksandr Shyrshyn, 30, a battalion commander in the 47th Mechanized Brigade. “Given what they could be doing elsewhere in Ukraine, this deployment is beneficial for us.”
He was still tired from a recent battle to repel a significant Russian offensive a few days prior.
The Russians launched their assault against Ukrainian positions in a series of six waves, utilizing over 50 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles.
While dozens of enemy troops were killed or injured and substantial Russian equipment was destroyed, Shyrshyn noted that the Russians managed a modest advance of a couple of miles.
“When the first wave approaches, we concentrate on it, deal with it, and then the next wave follows,” he explained. There is little time to redirect artillery or other resources before the next wave moves in from a different line of attack.
“We fall behind,” he added. “Then another wave comes in, and one of them manages to breach the necessary section and fulfill their objective.”
It remains challenging, he noted, to understand how many in the West perceive the conflict in Ukraine as a mere video game, failing to recognize the genuine threat posed by Russia to the globe.
He acknowledged a decline in morale among Ukrainian forces after nearly three years of war; however, he emphasized that most soldiers still comprehend the necessity of their fight. “Stopping means our death, that’s all,” he stated.
The involvement of North Korean forces in the war, some Ukrainian soldiers asserted, should raise alarms among European nations and allied forces.
The North Korean troops have demonstrated themselves as a disciplined, committed, and fearless contingent, typically moving in large formations on foot, even traversing minefields under heavy artillery bombardment and while being monitored by drones. Ukrainian authorities announced on Saturday that their forces captured two North Korean soldiers, marking the first instance of live captures thus far.
Oleksandr, the platoon leader, shared that the devastation witnessed in Kursk was among the most horrifying experiences he had encountered since joining the military in 2014.
“You look around and can’t entirely grasp your surroundings, witnessing daily how many lives we are annihilating,” he lamented.
