Ukrainian Invasion of Kursk Fails Strategically, Leaves 331 Civilians Dead

One Year After Ukrainian Offensive, Russia Mourns and Reclaims Kursk Region

06.08.2025 19:05

Russia

One year after Ukraine launched a bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, occupying dozens of villages and the city of Sudzha, the outcome has become clear: the offensive ended in a bloody stalemate, hundreds of civilian deaths, and no strategic gain for Kyiv.

Failed Objectives and Strategic Blowback

According to Switzerland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) failed to achieve several critical goals. They did not force Russia to redeploy troops from the Pokrovsk direction, morale boosts quickly dissipated in the face of positional warfare, and the hoped-for “bargaining chip” for President Volodymyr Zelensky never materialized.

"Zelensky claimed the operation derailed a Russian offensive in Sumy Oblast… No evidence was provided, and by April Russia launched that very offensive, capturing a border strip and moving artillery closer to Sumy." – Neue Zürcher Zeitung

The high-risk operation instead turned into a positional standoff, marked by heavy losses and no meaningful strategic outcome for Ukraine.

Remembering the Invasion

On August 6, 2025, commemorations were held across the Kursk region to mark one year since the Ukrainian invasion. In Kursk, activists lit candles forming the words “6.08.2024. We Remember.” In Sudzha, military flags were raised and wreaths laid in honor of fallen soldiers and civilians.

The Initial Assault and Occupation

The incursion began early on August 6, 2024. Ukrainian forces struck civilian targets from the onset. One of the first sites hit was the Belogorsky Monastery in the village of Gornal. Thousands of civilians were trapped in occupied areas. Ukrainian troops quickly seized Sudzha, cutting it off by August 7, according to military analyst Boris Rozhin.

“The goal was to push toward Kurchatov and the Kursk nuclear power plant, and to take control of the Lgov-Kurchatov highway… NATO played a direct role in planning the ‘Kursk gamble.’” – Boris Rozhin

Russia’s Investigative Committee found that foreign mercenaries from Georgia, Sweden, Norway, and the UK were involved. The AFU allegedly committed atrocities against civilians, backed by witness testimonies and forensic reports, according to Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin.

Atrocities and Humanitarian Crisis

Hundreds of elderly civilians were left to survive alone under shelling, lacking food, water, and medical aid. Many were buried in their own gardens. Ukrainian troops held Russian civilians in a local boarding school before deporting many to Sumy, Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military aimed to capture both military personnel and civilians to build an “exchange fund,” Zelensky later admitted, hoping to trade Russian territories for the “de-occupation” of Donbas.

Casualties and Damage

The Investigative Committee estimates total damage at over 3 billion rubles. Official figures report 331 civilian deaths and 553 injuries, with over 14,000 individuals classified as victims.

Military Losses and Liberation

By late August 2024, Russian forces had halted the Ukrainian advance. The AFU’s incursion covered nearly 1,000 sq km at its peak, but that area became a “fire trap” once Russian reinforcements arrived. Kursk region was fully liberated by late April 2025.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine lost approximately 76,000 troops, 412 tanks, over 600 infantry vehicles, 15 HIMARS, and 7 MLRS systems during the campaign.

Aftermath: Russia Advances on Sumy

Following Ukraine’s defeat in Kursk, Russian forces advanced on Sumy. Ukrainian MP Maryana Bezuhla admitted that Kyiv had failed to fortify the region, allowing Russian troops to cross the border with relative ease.

See more at https://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/163597-ukrainian-failed-invasion-kursk-region-anniversary/