Ukrainian forces have nearly completed their withdrawal from the Kursk region of Russia, marking an end to an offensive that had taken the Kremlin by surprise last summer due to its rapidity and audacity.

Soldiers on the front lines described the withdrawal as organized in some areas but chaotic in others, with Russian troops breaching their lines and forcing a retreat to a narrow strip of land along the border.

By the time one attacking unit withdrew from its position less than a week ago, all of its vehicles had been destroyed, and they were relentlessly pursued by drones both day and night, with their ammunition supplies running low.

The unit commander acknowledged that Russian forces were encircling the Ukrainian pocket from all sides, stating, "This forced us to withdraw." The commander, who requested anonymity and was identified only by the call sign "Boroda" in line with military protocol, noted that it took his unit two days to march over 12 miles from their positions near the village of Kazashiya Luknya back to the Ukrainian border.

By that time, he indicated, the area that had contained their positions was already under Russian occupation.

At the peak of the offensive, Ukrainian forces had captured around 500 square miles of Russian territory.

However, as of Sunday, they were barely clinging to 30 square miles along the Russia-Ukraine border, according to military analyst Pasi Parviainen of Black Bird Group in Finland.

Parviainen expressed that "the end of the battle is imminent."

Independent verification of the Russian territory that Ukraine still controls in Kursk has not been possible, though soldiers reported ongoing fierce fighting.

Ukrainian troops indicated that combat near the border is no longer aimed at retaining Russian territory but rather at preventing Russian forces from flowing into the Sumy region of Ukraine and opening a new front in the war.

They are attempting to establish strong defensive positions along the ridges on the Russian side of the border.

"Boroda" confirmed their continued presence on the Kursk front, stating, "the only difference is that our positions have significantly shifted towards the border."

A Ukrainian intelligence officer, Andre, fighting in Kursk, candidly asserted, "The Kursk operation is practically over.

Now we need to stabilize the situation."

While Ukrainian forces have successfully disrupted Russian advances in Eastern Ukraine, the shift inside Kursk comes at a time when the Trump administration is seeking a swift truce.

The decline in Ukrainian fortunes in Kursk cannot be attributed to a single factor.

Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian supply lines, cutting off escape routes.

Additionally, North Korean forces, initially lagging, have improved their combat capabilities.

At a critical moment, Washington decided to suspend support, including intelligence sharing.

During the last visit of a major news outlet to the border between Sumy and Kursk in late January, daytime movement was nearly impossible due to the pervasive presence of Russian drones overhead.

The main route from Sumy to Sudzha, a small Russian town located about six miles northeast and occupied by Ukrainian forces since August, was already cluttered with wrecked vehicles, tanks, and armored personnel carriers.

Ukraine had deployed some of its most experienced units to participate in the Kursk operation.

However, months of relentless attacks from Russian forces and thousands of North Korean troops fighting alongside them resulted in mounting casualties.

By mid-February, Russian forces advanced within five miles of Ukrainian supply routes to Sudzha, allowing them to target those routes with swarms of drones, many of which were tethered to ultra-thin fiber optic cables, making them resistant to jamming.

Ukrainian soldiers, including "Boroda," reported that Russian forces set ambushes using combat drones.

A special operations fighter, "Kap," aged 36, identified only by his call sign, stated, "Their drones would land near the main supply routes and wait for the target to pass."

Ukrainian soldiers also reported that Russian drones bombed bridges in Kursk with pre-set explosives intended to destroy them to hinder the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces.

Additionally, Russian warplanes targeted bridges, with one instance involving a 6,000-pound precision-guided bomb laid down to sever a key artery, according to Ukrainian soldiers and military analysts.

Artem, a high-ranking Ukrainian brigade commander, noted that the destruction of the bridges was a primary reason Ukrainian forces suddenly abandoned their positions in recent weeks.

He added that while not everyone managed to survive, the majority did.

The situation in Kursk became increasingly precarious when the Trump administration announced a suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing on March 3. Andre stated that the loss of American intelligence associated with precise targeting exacerbated the difficulties faced by Ukrainian forces.

On March 8, Russian forces achieved a breakthrough by infiltrating behind Ukrainian lines, moving for miles through an abandoned gas pipeline for a surprise attack.

Russian media and officials portrayed the operation as a heroic act, whereas Ukrainian sources described it as a risky move, alleging it resulted in numerous fatalities due to residual methane gas in the pipeline.

Simultaneously, North Korean forces aided in a coordinated attack that breached Ukrainian lines south of the small village of Korolevka, further constraining Ukraine's ability to supply its forces.

As Ukrainian troops retreated along defined defensive lines, Russian forces continued their advance towards Sudzha, and the intensity of attacks increased.

On March 10, orders were issued for the withdrawal of some units from Sudzha, according to three Ukrainian soldiers and commanders.

"Boroda" explained, "The withdrawal was a mix of organized and chaotic.

Various factors affected the nature of the withdrawal, such as fatigue, good or poor orders from individual commanders, and poor communication or coordination."

Despite claims by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump to the contrary, military analysts using specific location combat footage to map battlefield developments confirmed that no large numbers of Ukrainian forces were ever encircled.

Three days later, the Russian Defense Ministry announced full control over Sudzha, claiming that its forces had retaken two villages outside the town.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff did not directly address the Russian seizure of Sudzha but released a battlefield map on Sunday showing the town outside areas under its control in Kursk, which had shrunk to a narrow strip of land.

The town of Sudzha, with a population of about 5,000, has sustained significant damage during the fighting.

Analysts suggest that both sides have incurred heavy losses since the beginning of the Kursk operation.

As Ukrainian forces had hoped to leverage their control over Russian territory as a bargaining chip in any negotiations to end the war, it appears that Putin is now utilizing the Ukrainian withdrawal to strengthen his position in talks with the Trump administration regarding a cessation of hostilities.