Nightmare in Kursk: Ukrainian Troops Recount Devastating Retreat

[Social Media]

 

Ukrainian soldiers who fought in Russia's Kursk region have described their retreat as a nightmare, likening the harrowing experience to scenes from a horror movie. Facing relentless Russian attacks, waves of drones, and devastating artillery fire, troops struggled to withdraw as their forces suffered heavy losses.

 

Extensive accounts from Ukrainian soldiers paint a picture of chaos and desperation as they attempted to escape under constant Russian fire. On March 9, a soldier identified as "Volodymyr" sent a message via Telegram, stating he was still in Sudzha, where panic had set in, and the front lines were collapsing. "Ukrainian troops are trying to leave – columns of troops and equipment. Some of them are burned by Russian drones on the road. It is impossible to leave during the day," he reported.

 

Just a month earlier, the withdrawal routes were passable. By March 9, however, they had fallen under Russian fire control. "In one minute, you can see two to three drones. That's a lot," Volodymyr added. He lamented that Ukrainian forces had relied on a single major road, the Sudzha-Sumy highway, and yet, despite the obvious risk, their commanders were caught off guard when the Russians targeted it.

 

 

By March 11, the battle for control of this critical road was in full force. A soldier identified as "Maksym" reported receiving an order for an "organized retreat" but noted that Russia had amassed a formidable force, including "large numbers of North Korean soldiers." Military analysts estimated that Russia had deployed around 70,000 troops to Kursk, including 12,000 North Koreans. Additionally, Russia had sent its most advanced drone units to the battlefield, employing kamikaze and first-person-view (FPV) drones to dominate logistics routes. Some of these drones were connected via fiber-optic cables, making them impervious to electronic countermeasures.

 

Maksym described the resulting devastation, saying that "the enemy managed to destroy dozens of units of equipment," leading to massive congestion along supply routes. Another soldier, "Anton," described the situation as "catastrophic." Serving at the Kursk front headquarters, he confirmed that Ukrainian forces had lost their drone advantage, while Russian air strikes and troop numbers overwhelmed defenses.

 

"Our logistics no longer work – organized deliveries of weapons, ammunition, food, and water are no longer possible," Anton said. He managed to flee Sudzha on foot under the cover of darkness but recalled barely surviving. "We almost died several times. Drones are in the sky all the time."

 

Anton predicted that Ukraine's foothold in Kursk would soon be lost. "From a military point of view, the Kursk direction has exhausted itself. There is no point in keeping it any more," he concluded.

 

Ukraine had committed approximately 12,000 troops to the Kursk offensive, among them some of its most highly trained forces equipped with Western-supplied tanks and armored vehicles. However, by March 11-12, as the withdrawal continued, the scene became even grimmer. A fourth soldier, "Dmytro," likened the retreat to "a scene from a horror movie."

 

"The roads are littered with hundreds of destroyed cars, armored vehicles, and ATVs. There are a lot of wounded and dead," he recounted. Ukrainian vehicles attempting to flee were hunted by multiple drones, with soldiers forced to abandon their equipment and retreat on foot.

 

Dmytro himself narrowly escaped when the car he was traveling in got stuck. As he and his comrades attempted to free it, they were attacked by an FPV drone. Though the drone missed the vehicle, it wounded one of his fellow soldiers. They were forced to hide in a forest for two hours before rescue arrived.

 

Many Ukrainian troops were left with no choice but to walk 15 to 20 kilometers to safety. What had initially been a "difficult and critical" situation quickly turned "catastrophic," Dmytro said. On March 14, his final message was bleak: "Everything is finished in the Kursk region... the operation was not successful."

 

According to Dmytro’s estimates, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers had lost their lives since the offensive into Russia began in August. As the dust settles on the failed campaign, the loss of Kursk marks another devastating chapter in the ongoing war.

 

Based on a report by BBC  2025-03-18

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

But but but, there are posters on this very forum assuring us that it's all Russian propaganda and that Ukraine is winning. Are they wrong?

 

[thaibeachlovers]

  12 hours ago, Social Media said:

Ukraine had committed approximately 12,000 troops to the Kursk offensive, among them some of its most highly trained forces equipped with Western-supplied tanks and armored vehicles.

Expand  

equipped with Western-supplied tanks and armored vehicles.

 

Oh dear oh dear, I thought they were going to "win" for Ukraine. Never mind, the Euros can come up with replacements in short order, can't they?

[thaibeachlovers]

Seriously, when are the Euros going to accept that it's over for Ukraine and stop encouraging them to carry on, which is only going to end with more dead Ukrainians?

 

Morale is essential to win a war- currently the Russians will have loads as they see the enemy on the run. Ukrainian troops in their trenches will not have loads, as they wait for the drones and the artillery, knowing their side is losing.

[Eric Loh]

Kursk situation is indeed dire for the Ukrainians. Heavily outnumbered by the Russian and North Korean forces. They are conflicting reports that denied troops were encircled and they are still resisting. 

 

https://kyivindependent.com/kyiv-says-ukrainian-troops-regrouped-in-kursk-oblast-denies-encirclement/

[thaibeachlovers]

  7 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

They are conflicting reports that denied troops were encircled and they are still resisting. 

Expand  

If they are resisting, then their days alive on this planet are numbered. Putin has already said that unless they surrender they will be killed.

 

Rather pointless to keep resisting in a lost cause.

[Eric Loh]

  7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If they are resisting, then their days alive on this planet are numbered. Putin has already said that unless they surrender they will be killed.

 

Rather pointless to keep resisting in a lost cause.

Expand  

As long as they are resisting, it divert Russian resources from the Eastern front. It is a strategic as well as a symbolic decision to take Kursk and put Ukrainian in a good position to negotiate. Not pointless.  

[dinsdale]

I posted a couple of weeks (maybe a few wks.) ago that the Kursk salient was on the verge of collapse. Got the obligatory laughing and confused emojis from the gutless posters who didn't have the balls to contradict me. Zelensky should never have gone in. A huge strategic blunder. What started out as capturing >1000 km² is probably now <300 km².  The salient is split in two and Russia has control of all supply routes be it captured or under line of fire/drones. All the highly trained troops and top flight weaponry sent into Kursk should have been focused on Ukraine's eastern front which continues to move west..

[dinsdale]

  7 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

As long as they are resisting, it divert Russian resources from the Eastern front. It is a strategic as well as a symbolic decision to take Kursk and put Ukrainian in a good position to negotiate. Not pointless.  

Expand  

Rubbish. The reason it hasn't collapsed sooner is that Russia didn't pour troops into the region. As for diverting Russian troops from the eastern front all it did, as I stated above, was divert Ukrainian troops, and highly trained ones at that, away from the front where they were needed most. As for taking Kursk as being strategic for negotiations I agree but Kursk has collapsed. That strategy has failed and is no longer a negotiating chip. It has also resulted in the death/capture/surrender of top line troops and weaponry. There's no putting any icing on this cake. The Kursk salient has collapsed and it's a complete disaster for Zelensky.

Dmytro said. On March 14, his final message was bleak: "Everything is finished in the Kursk region... the operation was not successful."

[Cameroni]

As soon as the Kursk gambit happened I predicted the Russians would flush them out and Zelensky would never be able to hold on to that land.

 

Indeed a major strategic blunder by Zelensky.

 

The war is lost for Ukraine.

 

Hopefully the Ukraine armchair warriors on here will find a more successful hobby soon.

[frank83628]

  6 hours ago, Cameroni said:

As soon as the Kursk gambit happened I predicted the Russians would flush them out and Zelensky would never be able to hold on to that land.

 

Indeed a major strategic blunder by Zelensky.

 

The war is lost for Ukraine.

 

Hopefully the Ukraine armchair warriors on here will find a more successful hobby soon.

Expand  

Once the headless chickens in the EU have stopped running round and this is settled... it will be Chy-na

[connda]

  12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

But but but, there are posters on this very forum assuring us that it's all Russian propaganda and that Ukraine is winning. Are they wrong?

 

Expand  

 

🇺🇦
Obvious lies and Pootin Propaganda.  Grrrrr!!!  The brave Ukrainians have Ivan and the North Koreans running back to Moscow with their tails between their spindly cockroach legs.  Putin's on his deathbed, and the Ruskies are out of weapons and ammo, and are down to throwing rocks and building ineffective missiles out of North Korean washing machines.
The war is all but over as the AFU is posed to send the war-criminal Pootin to the Hague and then break-up Russia and give it to war-hero and chief, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy The Brave and Lion-Hearted.  Slava Ukraine!!!  🇺🇦

[WorriedNoodle]

  12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seriously, when are the Euros going to accept that it's over for Ukraine and stop encouraging them to carry on

Expand  

Do you normally just bend over and accept a ravaging when being abused by a bully? I posit that most people of integrity do not.

[dinsdale]

  7 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

As long as they are resisting, it divert Russian resources from the Eastern front. It is a strategic as well as a symbolic decision to take Kursk and put Ukrainian in a good position to negotiate. Not pointless.  

Expand  

Rubbish. The reason it hasn't collapsed sooner is that Russia didn't pour troops into the region. As for diverting Russian troops from the eastern front all it did, as I stated above, was divert Ukrainian troops, and highly trained ones at that, away from the front where they were needed most. As for taking Kursk as being strategic for negotiations I agree but Kursk has collapsed. That strategy has failed and is no longer a negotiating chip. It has also resulted in the death/capture/surrender of top line troops and weaponry. There's no putting any icing on this cake. The Kursk salient has collapsed and it's a complete disaster for Zelenky.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

  6 hours ago, Cameroni said:

As soon as the Kursk gambit happened I predicted the Russians would flush them out and Zelensky would never be able to hold on to that land.

 

Indeed a major strategic blunder by Zelensky.

 

The war is lost for Ukraine.

 

Hopefully the Ukraine armchair warriors on here will find a more successful hobby soon.

Expand  

They need fear not. Another American war will be along shortly after Ukraine is put to bed. Possibly Iran, or even Yemen ( Mad Mitch will be laughing if they attempt that mistake ).

 

I just hope they don't con any allies into joining in the fun though.

[Lacessit]

There are some seriously sick people on this thread, that think Russia winning is a good thing.

[frank83628]

  6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They need fear not. Another American war will be along shortly after Ukraine is put to bed. Possibly Iran, or even Yemen ( Mad Mitch will be laughing if they attempt that mistake ).

 

I just hope they don't con any allies into joining in the fun though.

Expand  

Its already sttarting in Yemen

[Cameroni]

  6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

There are some seriously sick people on this thread, that think Russia winning is a good thing.

Expand  

 

Russia winning is indeed a very good thing for the entire world.

 

It eliminates the risk of WWIII which Boris Johnson, Kamala and Joe so recklessly ignored.

[dinsdale]

3 negative emoji replies to a previous post of mine by 3 posters whose grasp on reality has obviously left them and are too gutless to actually post a comment contradicting my post. The above article supports my post and what I've been posting for quite some time about the Kursk salient. Of course I got the standard emoji replies to these also. How about all you posters who replied with negative emojis to my posts apologise.  I was right. Kursk is all but gone and going into Kursk was a huge mistake.

More idiots responded with the standard emojis to this post also. Indeed all my posts regarding Ukraine/Russia war.

  On 3/15/2025 at 3:14 PM, problemfarang said:

On 3/15/2025 at 10:14 PM, problemfarang said:

for your information:

 

there are no surrounded troops there.. all groups evacuated. i do believe only 1 group had problem.. but they managed to evacuated. but yes i know they have 3-4 POWs sadly

Rubbish. Absolute and complete rubbish. Blue is where Ukrainian forces are. Grey is territory recaptured by Russian forces in the previous 24 hrs. This is in Kursk.

https://deepstatemap.live/en#11/51.1237818/35.2990723

•  2
•  1
•  2

 

[thaibeachlovers]

  6 hours ago, frank83628 said:

Once the headless chickens in the EU have stopped running round and this is settled... it will be Chy-na

Expand  

Surely even the US won't try that madness? After all, that country can actually fight back. They should stick to countries that are virtually defenseless, like Granada, though Panama or Greenland might suffice to ensure a bit more profit for the 1 %.

[frank83628]

  6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

There are some seriously sick people on this thread, that think Russia winning is a good thing.

Expand  

Russia has won, the sick people are those like yourself that refuse to acknowledge this and want to keep the fighting going and people dying, while typing from the safety of your laptop.

 

[Cameroni]

  6 hours ago, connda said:

 

🇺🇦
Obvious lies and Pootin Propaganda.  Grrrrr!!!  The brave Ukrainians have Ivan and the North Koreans running back to Moscow with their tails between their spindly cockroach legs.  Putin's on his deathbed, and the Ruskies are out of weapons and ammo, and are down to throwing rocks and building ineffective missiles out of North Korean washing machines.
The war is all but over as the AFU is posed to send the war-criminal Pootin to the Hague and then break-up Russia and give it to war-hero and chief, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy The Brave and Lion-Hearted.  Slava Ukraine!!!  🇺🇦

Expand  

 

There has been another spectacular drone attack on a Russian gas station, behold the brave Ukrainian heros winning this war, Ukraine hit back! 😂😂😂

 

Ukraine is making massive strides with its super weapon missile, victory is just around the corner 😂😂😂

[thaibeachlovers]

  6 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

Russia winning is indeed a very good thing for the entire world.

 

It eliminates the risk of WWIII which Boris Johnson, Kamala and Joe so recklessly ignored.

Expand  

On that we agree.

 

  6 hours ago, dinsdale said:

3 negative emoji replies to a previous post of mine by 3 posters whose grasp on reality has obviously left them and are too gutless to actually post a comment contradicting my post. The above article supports my post and what I've been posting for quite some time about the Kursk salient. Of course I got the standard emoji replies to these also. How about all you posters who replied with negative emojis to my posts apologise.  I was right. Kursk is all but gone and going into Kursk was a huge mistake.

 

Expand  

Don't hold your breath. They never respond when I call them out.

[thaibeachlovers]

  6 hours ago, frank83628 said:

Russia has won, the sick people are those like yourself that refuse to acknowledge this and want to keep the fighting going and people dying, while typing from the safety of your laptop.

 

Expand  

On that I agree. The sick people are those calling for more war while not being prepared to join in themselves.

[Hellfire]

For me, it was never about who wins, but about who is right. This isn’t a football game. You are a ruthless dictator who enslaved your own people and then attacked your neighbors—I will never stand with you, and I will always despise you. Simple as that. But some creatures have no values; they still live with a primitive mindset, as if they never left the jungle. And no, they are not tigers—more like insects.

[Cameroni]

  6 hours ago, frank83628 said:

Russia has won, the sick people are those like yourself that refuse to acknowledge this and want to keep the fighting going and people dying, while typing from the safety of your laptop.

 

Expand  

Well said, all the laptop warriors should look at the loss of lives this war has caused. A war that should never have happened and was totally unnecessary.

[stevenl]

  7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If they are resisting, then their days alive on this planet are numbered. Putin has already said that unless they surrender they will be killed.

 

Rather pointless to keep resisting in a lost cause.

Expand  

Since the Russians also kill their PoW they're better of keeping fighting.

[Cameroni]

  6 hours ago, Hellfire said:

For me, it was never about who wins, but about who is right. This isn’t a football game. You are a ruthless dictator who enslaved your own people and then attacked your neighbors—I will never stand with you, and I will always despise you. Simple as that. But some creatures have no values; they still live with a primitive mindset, as if they never left the jungle. And no, they are not tigers—more like insects.

Expand  

 

The world is more complex than this colour book morality of red and green rights and wrongs. Anyone who looks at the history of the Ukraine and Russia war will realise that kindergarden morality is not useful to analyse it.

[Presnock]

  12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

But but but, there are posters on this very forum assuring us that it's all Russian propaganda and that Ukraine is winning. Are they wrong?

 

Expand  

since when?  obviously those stories were either clipped from my notes  and since when has anyone with half a brain believed ANYTHING on this forum?  w e have seen a continuous march into the Ukraine by Russian troops.  IMHO a losing battle from the beginning due to numbers of troops available plus air support plus missiles.  Surprised though that it lasted as long as it did.  When Russia received the troops from N. Korea I knew for sure that it would be devastating for the Ukrainian troops - wave attacks and probably drugged up as the were in Korea in the 50's.  MO for sure!

[dinsdale]

  6 hours ago, Hellfire said:

For me, it was never about who wins, but about who is right. This isn’t a football game. You are a ruthless dictator who enslaved your own people and then attacked your neighbors—I will never stand with you, and I will always despise you. Simple as that. But some creatures have no values; they still live with a primitive mindset, as if they never left the jungle. And no, they are not tigers—more like insects.

Expand  

You can bet your bottom dollar that war crimes and atrocities have been carried out by both sides. It's a bloody war of attrition. The rule book tends to get thrown out in battle.