US officials say Ukraine may lose Kursk territories within months
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US officials suggest that Ukraine may wind up losing the territories it had gained in Kursk within months.
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In this photo taken from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry press service on Friday, November 29, 2024, a Russian serviceman aims a D-30 howitzer toward Ukrainian positions in the border area of Kursk region, Russia. (AP)
Ukraine's ability to maintain control over seized territory in Russia's Kursk region is likely limited to several months, a Bloomberg report said Friday, citing unnamed US officials as heightened tensions signal potential Russian countermeasures.
US sources suggested that Ukrainian troops might be able to hold the territory only until spring, should Russia initiate a concentrated effort to reclaim the region. Such an operation could begin as early as January, they indicated.
One official noted that Kiev's objectives in the Kursk incursion were primarily symbolic, aimed at shocking Russia and dispersing its forces. A potential Ukrainian retreat, they argued, could still be framed as a strategic achievement.
On the other hand, other officials expressed concern over the risks of sustaining heavy casualties. They hope Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would consider withdrawing forces from Russian territory to mitigate losses.
The war has significantly strained prospects for peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in June that Moscow would cease fire and engage in negotiations if Ukraine withdrew troops from regions Russia claims as its own and renounced NATO ambitions.
Talks 'impossible'
Following Ukraine's attack on Kursk in August, Putin declared negotiations with Kiev impossible under current conditions. Despite this, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov affirmed that Moscow's peace proposals remain on the table, though Russia is unwilling to engage with Ukraine at this juncture.
Back in November, a senior Ukrainian military source told Reuters that over 40% of the territory Ukraine seized in Russia's Kursk region during a surprise August incursion has been lost amid intensified Russian counterattacks.
Ukrainian forces, which initially controlled 1,376 km², now hold approximately 800 km² as Russia reinforces its defenses with tens of thousands of troops, according to Reuters.
"At most, we controlled about 1,376 km² (531 mi²), now of course this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks," the source said.
"Now we control approximately 800 km² (309 mi²). We will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate."
Read more: Ukraine's military campaign 'derailed', forces 'ground down': Russia
This comes amid intensified combat along the frontlines as both Russia and Ukraine brace for potential shifts in US policy under the upcoming administration, which could significantly impact the course of the war.
Kursk was initially seized by Ukrainian forces in a surprise offensive in August, marking the first ground invasion of Russian territory by a foreign power since WWII.
