Ukraine to hold defense in Kursk as long as necessary — Ukraine’s top general

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported the information.

"The Russians are using assault units of airborne troops and special operations forces to break through our defenses, push our troops out of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, and move combat operations onto the territory of Sumy and Kharkiv regions," Syrskyi noted.

The Commander-in-Chief added that "in trying to achieve political goals at any cost, Russia has already suffered and continues to suffer significant losses in Kursk."

Russian losses in Kursk

According to Oleksandr Syrskyi, since the start of the Kursk operation (August 6, 2024 – present), Russian military losses have exceeded 54,900 personnel. This includes more than 22,200 irreversible losses, 31,800 sanitary losses, and 942 prisoners.

"Additionally, approximately 2,100 units of Russian military equipment and weapons have been damaged or destroyed. These include 90 tanks, 654 armored fighting vehicles, five multiple rocket launchers, two air defense systems, one aircraft, two helicopters, over 1,100 vehicles, 28 units of special equipment, and nearly 1,500 drones," the Commander-in-Chief added.

Russian troops launch unprecedented number of strikes on their own region

Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized that Russian aviation carried out an unprecedented number of strikes on the territory of its own region. In particular, as a result of airstrikes on the city of Sudzha, the settlement has been almost completely destroyed, the Commander-in-Chief reported.

Ukraine's priority is to preserve soldiers' lives

Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized that his priority has been and remains the preservation of Ukrainian soldiers' lives.

"For this, the Defense Forces' units, when necessary, maneuver to more advantageous positions. Primarily, the unmanned component is engaged, as well as artillery firepower. I have given all the necessary orders for this," Syrskyi noted.

He also added that as of 6 p.m., March 12, Ukrainian forces had repelled eight Russian assault attempts in the Kursk region.

"Despite the intensified pressure from the Russian-North Korean army, we will hold the defense in Kursk for as long as it is advisable and necessary," Syrskyi concluded.

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.