Ukrainian forces have been pushed out of Sudzha, but they continue to fight on the city's outskirts. "We waited too long to retreat. Now we're leaving with losses, abandoning the severely wounded and equipment,

Russian troops have breached a Ukrainian defensive line near Sudzha in the Kursk region, intensifying pressure on Ukrainian forces operating near the border and threatening a critical supply route used by Kyiv's forces.

Russian forces have driven the Ukrainian army out of the biggest town in Russia's Kursk border region, officials claimed Thursday. Kursk regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said more than 120 people have been evacuated from Sudzha.

Russian forces have retaken Sudzha, a key stronghold of Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 13.

Amid Russia’s rapid advance in its western Kursk region, Ukrainian troops have fully withdrawn from Sudzha — the only city they held there. Analysts say Ukraine is conducting an organized retreat and Russian forces are reclaiming territory with little to no resistance.

The Ukrainian military operation in the Kursk region, ongoing since August 2024, is coming to an end. Ukrainian forces are retreating, and the Russians are taking control of the region. As noted by Reuters,