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Washington Post evaluates risks if Ukrainian forces withdraw from Kursk region

Washington Post evaluates risks if Ukrainian forces withdraw from Kursk region Photo: WP assessed the risks in the event of the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the Kursk region (KIRILL CHUBOTIN UkrinformFuture Publishing via Getty Images)

In the event of a withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, the Russian army will begin an offensive from there towards Ukraine. This involves a grouping of 60,000 Russian troops, according to the Washington Post.

According to the publication, Ukraine's continued focus on the Kursk region highlights the importance of maintaining this territory, especially considering that the upcoming arrival of newly elected US President Donald Trump may increase pressure on both sides to negotiate.

Ukrainian officials also warned that if their forces withdraw, "60,000 troops Kyiv says Russia has deployed would follow them into Ukraine and occupy more land."

"There is a clear incentive for Ukraine to try to retain Kursk for as long as possible, so it makes sense to conduct small-scale operations to improve their positions so they can retain it longer … and try to demonstrate that they still have offensive options in this war," said Michael Kofman, a military analyst at the Center for Naval Analysis in Virginia.

Meanwhile, Russia aims to reclaim the Kursk region but still maintains a significant portion of its military forces in the east.

Importance of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region

On January 5, Ukrainian forces launched attacks on Russian positions in the Kursk region along several fronts. This followed five months of Ukrainian operations in the area, which began in August 2024.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the operation in the Kursk region helped divert the threat of occupation of parts of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.

Additionally, Zelenskyy recently called the Kursk region "a strong trump card," especially in the context of the Global South countries.