Kursk operation is a unique and ongoing battle — Ukrainian serviceman

He spoke about this on Espreso TV. 

"Fighting continues on Russian territory, even when we look at the border between Ukraine and Russia, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold positions along the Russian side. In a straight line, it's 20 kilometers, if not more, just along the flank. It's hard to assess how much deeper the fighting extends because, in reality, combat continues in the Kursk region. From what we can estimate, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are still, relatively speaking, in defensive positions or engaged in operations in the Sudzha area. So, those who claimed that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn or were surrounded along the Ukrainian border are part of the enemy's information campaign, aimed at stirring up the situation. It’s true that the enemy has become extremely active in the area, which makes it clear that this is a priority for Putin right now," he stated.

Before any peace agreements or ceasefires are signed, it is crucial for Putin to diminish the influence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian territory.

"Because every one of his claims, statements, or demands always boils down to this: how can you assert control over the situation at the front if your territory has been the site of a military operation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces for not just a day, not two, not even a month, but for over six, seven, and possibly even entering the eighth month? We understand that this is a very painful and unacceptable situation for Putin, which is why it appears this way.

Moreover, the military operation, specifically the pipeline operation they planned along the pipelines, has failed. A large number of Russian soldiers, including some special forces, have been killed. Russian propaganda had already prepared elaborate myths for this operation, portraying it as heroic and grand. Now, they are forced to rewrite the narrative, suggesting that the deaths of soldiers in the pipelines were not in vain, even though the real question is: why send them there in the first place? But that’s a different issue. For Putin, the aggressive attack in the Kursk region is an attempt to counter the negative perception stemming from the failed operation," the military expert stated.

Ivan Tymochko emphasized that the operation in the Kursk region is a unique military operation that is still ongoing.

"There is a concentration of both our and their troops along the borders. The question is whether they will be able to reach their own borders, and so on, because we see what’s happening on the negotiation front. The statements from Putin, his demands, are just like the first snow—they melt away quickly. These are like the initial claims in the negotiation process regarding a ceasefire, which will eventually fade. The real question is which of these points will be accepted, which won’t, or if it's just an informational leak. It’s a bit of a story.

And if a decision to stop the fighting is made—hypothetically, let’s imagine a decision to halt hostilities—and the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced only 30 kilometers into enemy territory, but are still on Russian territory, Putin understands this perfectly. That’s why all these negotiation details, which haven’t been formalized yet, influence why Putin is so intensely directing his troops into the Kursk region," the serviceman added.

• In the Kursk region, Russian troops attempted to infiltrate Ukrainian-controlled territory using underground passages. However, Ukrainian paratroopers set up an ambush and eliminated the group.

Frontline situation in Kursk region

The OSINT project DeepState reported that the Russian army made slight advances on the Kursk front, particularly near Mirny and Zozulevka. Additionally, Russian forces are reinforcing positions in the eastern part of Sudzha.

On March 12, Forbes reported that Ukrainian troops were likely to leave the Kursk region amid the Russian offensive. In particular, this concerns the most combat-ready part of the brigades.

At the same time, Ukrainian MP Kostenko denied the information about the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Defense Forces from Sudzha. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also assured that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to carry out their mission in Kursk.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that active hostilities continue in the Kursk operational zone, in the suburbs of Sudzha and the areas around it. 

On March 12, Russian leader Vladimir Putin allegedly visited the Kursk region.