Ukrainian troops may leave the territory of Russia's Kursk region, which creates a risk of Russian advances into the territory of Sumy region, military observer Denis Popovych believes. He noted that according to the DeepState monitoring project, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already completely abandoned the city of Sudzha, but there is no official confirmation yet.
The expert pointed to several key factors that could have influenced the situation: the significant numerical superiority of Russian troops, the intensive use of artillery and aviation, as well as the blockade of logistics using drones.
Popovych is considering two possible scenarios for further developments: either the Ukrainian command has "trump cards" and will be able to launch a counteroffensive, or there will be a complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Kursk.
At the same time, the Russians are already trying to advance deep into Sumy Oblast. This may be an attempt to create a buffer zone to prevent further Ukrainian offensives into the Kursk Oblast.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, denied reports of Russians' complete control over Sudzha, emphasizing that the fighting for the city is still ongoing.
