Ukrainian troops in Kursk at risk of encirclement due to US intel data ban, The Telegraph

Ten thousand Ukrainian soldiers were threatened with encirclement after Russian forces broke through the front line and advanced along a key supply line from two directions.

Russian forces advanced in the Sudzha area, penetrating 11 kilometers into Russian territory, and crossing the border from the Sumy region in Ukraine from the north.

It is believed that a significant number of North Korean troops were involved in the offensive to cut off Ukrainian soldiers, and drones were used to disrupt supply chains and logistics for Kyiv.

According to a junior sergeant who spoke with The Telegraph, Ukraine is considering withdrawing its troops from Kursk to avoid further losses. "We want to avoid losses. The fear of encirclement is real," he said.

The only Ukrainian road to Sudzha is now within the range of Russian drones with first-person views, complicating the defense of the area and retreating if necessary.

Elite Ukrainian units, including the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 115th Mechanized Brigade, and the 8th Special Forces Regiment, continue to operate in the Kursk region.

Reports indicate that Russian forces are expanding the combat zone to the villages of Novenke and Basivka, and there are reports that they are taking control of Nova and Stara Sorochytsya.

Intelligence data

The Russian offensive on the key road took place shortly after the US ceased sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Experts believe that by limiting surveillance, the US is allowing the Russians to operate more freely and plan attacks without Ukraine’s knowledge.

A military intelligence officer in Kyiv told The Telegraph that the cessation of intelligence sharing was equivalent to "more or less a total blackout."

Initially, it was reported that the reduction in intelligence activities only concerned Russian territory, where an attack occurred on Friday.

The attack occurred amid US President Donald Trump banning private American companies and commercial services from providing satellite data to Ukraine, prompting aerospace company Maxar Technologies to cut off Ukraine’s access to its satellite imagery.

Maxar is the main supplier of commercial satellite imagery to Ukraine, showing the movement of Russian troops and the status of critical operations, including within Russian territory.

The reduction in intelligence sharing is also affecting Ukraine’s ability to predict Russian missile and drone strikes.

On Thursday, at the EU leaders' summit in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported plans for a partial ceasefire to stop aerial and naval attacks, as well as attacks on critical infrastructure, and to assess whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to end the war with Ukraine.

High-ranking officials from Ukraine and the US will discuss these plans, along with a large-scale prisoner exchange between Kyiv and Moscow, in a meeting in Saudi Arabia next week.

Suspension of intelligence data sharing

The US has fully stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, as confirmed by the CIA director. Earlier, it was reported that the US had only stopped transferring data for strikes on Russian territory but continued to provide information about the positions of the occupiers.

At the same time, Ukrainian military sources deny information about changes in intelligence sharing. The Trump administration likely aims to push Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow, making demands primarily concerning Ukraine.

Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that France is ready to take on the role of the US in providing Ukraine with intelligence.