Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent, reporting from Ukraine
Russian service members stroll previous a destroyed constructing within the city of Sudzha in Kursk, which was not too long ago retaken by Russia’s armed forces – image from the Russian Defence Ministry
Ukrainian troopers preventing in Russia’s Kursk area have described scenes “like a horror film” as they retreated from the entrance strains.
The BBC has obtained intensive accounts from Ukrainian troops, who recount a “catastrophic” withdrawal within the face of heavy fireplace, columns of army tools destroyed, and fixed assaults from swarms of Russian drones.
Ukrainian restrictions on journey to the entrance imply it isn’t potential to get a full image. However 5 Ukrainian troopers described to us what had occurred.
On 9 March, “Volodymyr” despatched a Telegram publish to the BBC saying he was nonetheless in Sudzha, a city in Kursk, the place there was “panic and collapse of the entrance”.
Ukrainian troops “are attempting to depart – columns of troops and tools. A few of them are burned by Russian drones on the highway. It’s inconceivable to depart throughout the day.”
Motion of males, logistics and tools had been reliant on one main route between Sudzha and Ukraine’s Sumy area.
Volodymyr mentioned it was potential to journey on that highway comparatively safely a month in the past. By 9 March it was “all underneath the fireplace management of the enemy – drones across the clock. In a single minute you may see two to 3 drones. That is quite a bit,” he mentioned.
“We have now all of the logistics right here on one Sudzha-Sumy freeway. And everybody knew that the [Russians] would attempt to reduce it. However this once more got here as a shock to our command.”