The Kremlin calls on the Ukrainian army to surrender

Afrasianet - Ukrainian forces in Kursk are facing a  very difficult military situation, as they no longer control only a limited part of the territory they once held, having lost most of their positions to the Russian army.

These forces are fighting fiercely on the outskirts of the region, amid Russian fire superiority that prevents them from easily repositioning or keeping their heavy equipment.

According to military and strategic expert Col. Hatem Karim al-Falahi, the situation on the ground reflects the tightening of the noose on Ukrainian forces, as Russia gradually imposes a siege on its units in the region, while intensifying air strikes to prevent any orderly withdrawal.

The military expert explained that Russian commanders state that withdrawal with heavy equipment is not possible, which puts Ukrainian forces in front of limited options.

These developments come in the context of the continuation of fierce battles on several fronts, as the Russian Defense Ministry announced the downing of dozens of Ukrainian drones, and confirmed the liberation of the towns of Rupanshina and Zaolichenka in the Kursk region.

In return, the Ukrainian army has acknowledged withdrawing from some positions to reposition, while fighting continues in Kharkiv amid mounting Russian pressure.

Decompression

According to al-Falahi, Kiev was betting on the battle of Kursk as a way to ease pressure on Kharkiv, which is under intense Russian attacks. 

He points out that Ukraine pushed its forces towards Kursk to occupy the Russian army, which was not dragged into battle, but continued to pressure on other fronts, which led to the retreat of the Ukrainians.

According to al-Falahi, Ukraine's losses in these confrontations are high, as Russian estimates indicate that more than 37,000 people have been killed and hundreds of Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles destroyed, and the lack of Western supplies and Kiev's inability to compensate for its losses make its position more difficult.

Regarding the possibility of a counterattack, Falahi asserts that Ukrainians rely on a rear-strike strategy, such as targeting bridges, airports and railways, as well as ground incursions.

However, these tactics have not been measurably successful due to Russia's superior defense capabilities, particularly in the field of electronic warfare and drone and missile jamming.

With U.S. support halted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is touting the idea of developing indigenous missiles but faces technical and logistical hurdles that make it difficult to implement these plans in the near term.

Any large-scale counteroffensive would require significant military support, which Kiev currently lacks, al-Falahi said.