Headline: Russian Push in Russia's Kursk Submarine Disaster”>Kursk Could Force Ukrainian Retreat by Spring 2025, U.S. Officials Warn
American officials, speaking anonymously, have assessed that if Russia intensifies its efforts to dislodge Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region starting next year, Ukraine‘s military may have to retreat by spring 2025 to avoid being encircled. This worrying prognosis comes as Ukraine struggles with manpower shortages and uncertainty about the future flow of aid from the U.S. and other allies.
The scenario unfolded in a Bloomberg report, detailing how Ukrainian forces have already lost around half of the territory they seized in occupied Russia’s Kursk region and could lose the remainder within months. This potential setback could deprive Ukraine of crucial leverage in ceasefire negotiations with Russia, according to the officials.
The officials acknowledge that, thus far, Ukrainian troops have held their ground in Kursk longer than some initial predictions, largely thanks to Washington’s decision to allow Kyiv to launch long-range missiles into Russian territory. Nevertheless, one official cautioned that Ukrainian forces were never intended to maintain control of Kursk in the first place. Regarded in this light, a retreat could still be framed as a tactical victory.
As the situation unfolds, massive assaults by North Korean troops, supporting Russia, have resulted in considerable losses on both sides. Since last week alone, more than 1,000 personnel have been killed or injured in these clashes, according to John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council.
Should Russia mount an effective counteroffensive in Kursk, it is expected to target key roads and towns to force a Ukrainian withdrawal. Moscow may also redeploy additional North Korean troops, estimates suggesting that approximately 8,000 more soldiers could be sent to bolster Russian efforts by spring. However, officials cautioned that these figures are not precise.
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