Russia Evicts Ukrainian Forces From Sudzha
Russian soldier raises the flags of his country and his unit over Sudzha, March 12, 2025. X/ @T_90_M_2024
March 12, 2025 Hour: 9:03 am
‘In many basements, Ukrainians are still hiding, although they no longer play any role,’ the Sever military group said.
On Wednesday, the Russian army eliminated the last pockets of Ukrainian resistance in the center of the city of Sudzha, the enemy’s main operational base in the Kursk region, from where Ukrainian troops were withdrawing after over seven months of partial occupation of that territory.
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“In many basements, Ukrainians are still hiding, although they no longer play any role,” reported the Sever (North) military group, whose airborne forces raised the Russian flag in Sudzha’s central square.
“The soldiers of the National Guard, along with units of the Ministry of Defense, are striking the retreating Ukrainian troops in the Sudzha district,” confirmed the Russian National Guard.
After reclaiming several Ukrainian-controlled localities within a few days, Russian forces began the liberation of Sudzha on March 8. The Russian offensive caught the Ukrainians off guard, leading them to either flee or surrender as prisoners.
The Russians managed to reach the rear of the Ukrainian troops through 14 kilometers of pipelines in the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline. To achieve this, the soldiers remained underground for six days in a historic operation.
In the past 24 hours, the Russian Ministry of Defense has also reported the liberation of seventeen localities in the border region.
“The Ukrainians left practically without a fight,” said military expert Ruslan Leviev of the Conflict Intelligence Team via the Dozhd channel.
This week, the Ukrainian army lost control of over 200 square kilometers of territory in Kursk, where it had staged the first invasion of Russian territory since World War II in August 2024.
This loss of territorial control coincided with the United States’ decision to suspend arms supplies and stop sharing intelligence data with Ukraine.
On Tuesday, during the first round of negotiations with the United States in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day truce along the entire front, on the condition that Russia also adheres to the ceasefire.
“Ukraine accepts this proposal. We consider it positive. We are ready to take this step,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last night, calling on Washington to persuade Moscow to enforce the ceasefire as soon as possible.
Notably, Zelensky had previously stated that his country could use Kursk as a bargaining chip, which became a clear obstacle for Moscow in future peace negotiations.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
