No disaster if Ukrainian forces withdraw from Sudzha, says expert
Photo: If the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdraw from Sudzha, there will be no disaster (Getty Images)
If Ukrainian forces have to withdraw from Sudzha, it won't be a disaster. From the very beginning of the operation, it was noted that it was a raid, stated military expert and reserve major of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksii Hetman, in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"Even if we have to leave Sudzha or the entire Kursk region, it should not be considered a disaster. From the beginning of the Kursk operation, our leadership made it clear that this was a raid. From a military standpoint, it's an entrance and withdrawal. No one intends to capture any territory there to hold referendums or annex it to Ukraine," Hetman said.
The expert emphasized that this is a military-political operation. It has accomplished its mission and continues to do so. However, he believes that if the threat to Ukrainian forces increases significantly, the command to withdraw will be given.
"Moreover, there is information that some brigades have already withdrawn. Therefore, we should not consider leaving the Kursk region as some kind of defeat. It was a successful operation, and it may be coming to an end," Hetman added.
Situation in the Kursk region
Ukrainian forces have been advancing in Russia's Kursk region since the summer. This made it possible to protect the Sumy and Kharkiv regions from opening a new front.
However, recently, Russian forces have launched a counteroffensive in the Kursk region. It has been reported that Russian troops continue their advance toward the city of Sudzha, capturing new territories. Geolocation footage confirms Russian progress to the south of Sudzha.
Meanwhile, the Center for Countering Disinformation stated that the battles for Sudzha are ongoing, and the information about its capture by Russian forces is false.
For more details on the situation in the Kursk region, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
