As of early morning on March 13th, 2025, the Russian military reportedly reclaimed control of Sudzha in the southern Kursk oblast. Sudzha, a small Russian city several kilometers from the Ukrainian border, has become a focal point for the War in Ukraine as it enters its third year. Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack on the Kursk Oblast, part of the Russian Federation, in early August of 2024, likely to gain the upper hand against the Russians in any negotiations. The territory they captured is part of Russia, which was a stunning reversal from the opening days of the war, where Ukraine was expected to fall to the Russian army within days of the invasion. Within days of the offensive’s start, Ukrainian forces had captured the city of Sudzha and advanced several kilometers into Russian territory, where they made solidified defensive positions.

Armored vehicles of the Ukrainian army protecting an intersection in Sudzha, Kursk. (UNN)

The Kursk invasion has become a central part of ceasefire negotiations, led by the United States, between Russia and Ukraine. Commentators have noted that the captured territory would have provided significant leverage for the Ukrainians during talks, but its capture has left them in a difficult position. While Ukrainian forces still evidently have some positions just beyond their own borders, Ukrainian control in Kursk has been dramatically reduced. However, the Russian victory did not come without extreme losses. Russia was forced to rely on North Korean soldiers as reinforcements for the Russian military, which was stretched thin, having to defend their lines in Ukraine and Kursk. It also proved a political problem for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who focused much of his attention on repulsing the Ukrainian invasion of Russian territory before the annual Russian Victory Day Parade, which has become noticeably less impressive in recent years as their Invasion of Ukraine drags into its third year.

A Ukrainian soldier looks at a destroyed statue near a government building in Sudzha, Kursk. (EPA, Via Shutterstock)