Russia has taken the last major town in the Kursk salient, essentially ejecting Ukraine from Russian territory.

 

Vladimir Putin in military fatigues. Russian pool/Reuters. 

Russia has taken the last major town in the Kursk salient, Sudzha, essentially ejecting Ukraine from Russian territory. Reuters. President Vladimir Putin, dressed in military fatigues, visited troops in the Kursk region and told them to continue the attack, which has taken back the majority of territory the Ukrainians took during last year's offensive in to Russia. Ukraine had lost 86% of the territory since their peak. Russian troops raised the Russian flag in the city center of Sudzha but there are still reports of some fighting going on in the outskirts of the city. Putin has said that foreign mercenaries fighting in the Kursk region will not be afforded protection by the Geneva conventions while Ukrainian forces captured will be treated as terrorists. Putin has also said that they are starting a new front in the region to create a buffer area between Russia proper and Sumy, so Ukraine could not threaten the Kursk region again. Ukraine had invaded Kursk in attempt to use the territory as a bargaining chip but the effort has now failed. 

🪖 The flag of the "Archangel of Spetsnaz" was installed in the village of Sudzha.
12/3/2025https://t.co/yj5gLTncHt pic.twitter.com/jCgJWbxRP4

— John Spectator (@johnspectator) March 12, 2025

My Comment:

It's hard to view the last week or so other than a massive disaster for the Ukrainians in Kursk. In case you missed my last few posts on the subject, Russia pulled off a stunning special operation where they infiltrated hundreds of troops behind enemy lines north of Sudzha through an empty natural gas pipeline. This caused a full rout for the Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region as they realized that the enemy was behind their lines and was in the process of cutting off their retreat.  

That retreat is ongoing. I had thought that it might be possible that Ukraine would be able to hold out in Sudzha for a time given that it is a town and that urban warfare favors the defenders, but that was not the case. They have now fled the majority of the city and it's essentially captured, and by the time this post goes out it might be fully liberated. 

Keep in mind the few Ukrainians still left in the Kursk salient will be in serious trouble as Russia still has fire control over the only highway out of the region. Retreating has been difficult for them an I am guessing they are taking horrible casualties. Also keep in mind that the forces deployed to the Kursk incursion were the best remaining and best armed troops remaining in Ukraine. 

I have said from the start of Ukraine's offensive into Russia that it was a boneheaded play and I have been proven absolutely right. The attack never accomplished any of their objectives. They didn't take the Kursk nuclear plant and were unable to hold it hostage. They weren't able to use the captured territory as a bargaining chip and they certainly lost way more troops then they could afford, troops that would have better served elsewhere. 

I'd also like to point out that having Putin show up in military fatigues is pretty significant. I don't think I have ever really seen him wearing that and I think it's sending a message. Russia is in this for the long haul and they are going to defend their territory no matter what. The fact that he also announced that they will be continuing into Ukrainian territory in the Sumy region tells me that the battle is far from over. 

Does this mean that Trump's peace proposal is dead? It's very possible. Russia got one of their biggest victories in the war and nothing in the peace proposal seemed to appeal to Russia in the first place, not to mention Ukraine sabotaging it with their massive drone attack yesterday. Supposedly Defense Minster Lavrov said that he's not interested in a 30 day cease fire, but a real peace deal, so that tells me the cease fire is probably not happening. 

But I also said yesterday that the Kursk salient was a major obstacle to the cease fire. I said there was no way that Russia would agree to any cease fire when they had the momentum on their side and when Sudzha was still in Ukrainian hands. That obstacle is now no longer relevant and I am guessing that the entire Kursk salient will be closed before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin actually talk. That means there is at least a chance the cease fire goes into effect. 

Either way, this has to count as one of Russia's biggest victories of the war, and it was pulled off in spectacular fashion. Even if hate Russia you have to admit that they did very well here. They got caught flat-footed by the offensive last August but in the end they have pulled off a stunning victory.