Ukrainian military members described the escalation of the fighting in Kursk in recent months and said that machine-gunners "could not handle the pace of killing," according to The New York Times.
In the report, Kyiv's military leaders spoke about how the fighting has intensified in the last few months, particularly since the deployment of North Korean soldiers in the region. They added how "Russians need to take this territory at any cost and are pouring all their strength into it," while Ukrainians are "giving everything we have to hold it."
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The fact that Ukrainian machine-gunners are having a hard time keeping up with the pace of battles in Kursk indicates that Kyiv may not be able to sustain its continued fight in the war, and that tactics against Russia on the battlefield may need to change. As Kursk is likely to be a crucial part of ceasefire talks with President-elect Donald Trump, both sides will want to retain as much of the territory as possible prior to the commencement of peace negotiations.
What To Know
In the five months since Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia's Kursk region, fighting in the area has intensified, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides as they grapple over the territory. In recent months, Russia has reclaimed about 40 percent of the territory in Kursk that it lost over the summer with the aid of approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers, who were deployed to the region in the fall of 2024.
Describing the battles in Kursk, Sergeant Oleksandr, 46, a Ukrainian infantry platoon leader, said, "you look and can't fully grasp where you are, seeing every day how many people we destroy," noting that it is as scary as anything he has seen since joining the army in 2014.
Oleksandr compared the battles in Kursk to those in Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk, where machine-gunners could not keep up with the pace of killing. He said: "After two hours of laying down so many people, they couldn't take it mentally. It's the same here now."
The city in eastern Ukraine is primarily known for the Battle of Bakhmut, which began in 2022 and continued for nearly a year, in which the warring countries fought to the death to retain control over the city.
With a prewar population of 70,000 that dwindled to a few thousand, Bakhmut was the subject of urban warfare and heavy bombardment. Regarded by RadioFreeEurope as one of the bloodiest since World War II, the battle resulted in Russia gaining control of the territory, according to the U.S.-based independent think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Since President Joe Biden's authorization of Ukraine's use of long-range weapons to conduct strikes deep inside Russian territory, the war has escalated drastically, with increased drone strikes taking place. On the front lines, as the battles for control of Pokrovsk and other key Ukrainian cities have continued, Russia has lost 3,000 North Korean soldiers in addition to their own, and some outlets surmised that 2024 was the deadliest year of war yet.
What People Are Saying
In a previous opinion piece for Newsweek, Daniel R. DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank based in Washington, D.C., wrote: "Just because Ukraine is struggling doesn't mean Russia is close to victory. Despite what Russian President Vladimir Putin may tell the Russian public during his monotonous press conferences and New Year's Day speeches, everything isn't going well in the motherland.
"There's no disputing that, militarily, the Russians are on the upswing. Russia captured approximately 1,500 miles of territory in 2024, seven times more than 2023, the year when Putin had to fight back an internal rebellion from Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group as well as a Western-backed Ukrainian counteroffensive.
"But gains on the ground have come at an extremely high cost. While assessing casualties during wartime is more art than science, it's safe to say that hundreds of thousands of Russians have been lost to death or injury since the war began in February 2022."
What Happens Next
With the increased fighting in the region, Ukraine's manpower shortage may worsen due to the casualties endured in battle. The amount of territory Ukraine can retain in Kursk may affect peace negotiations with Russia and Trump.
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