Janice R. Andrews
Ukraine has relinquished 40% of the territory it seized during its surprise assault on Russia’s Kursk oblast in August. Initially controlling 1,376 square kilometers, Ukrainian forces now retain only about 800 square kilometers, a military source told Reuters. Kiev aimed to use the operation to distract Russian troops from key battlefronts in eastern and northeastern Ukraine while gaining leverage for potential peace negotiations.
However, Russian counteroffensives, bolstered by North Korean soldiers in recent weeks, have made holding the area increasingly difficult. Ukraine’s military has acknowledged that control will be maintained only as long as it remains strategically viable.
This setback could diminish President Volodymyr Zelensky’s bargaining power in any future peace talks, whether mediated by figures like Donald Trump or other global leaders. The battle over Kursk underscores the fluctuating territorial stakes of the conflict, with both sides striving to maintain the upper hand.
