Deprived of US intelligence support, Ukraine loses ground in Russia's Kursk region

Marco RubiouS Secretary of State

Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to force the Russians all the way back to where they were back in 2014,

Rubio added, referring to when Russia seized the Crimea peninsula and backed a separatist offensive in eastern Ukraine

I'm not saying that alone is enough, but it's the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end the conflict,

he told reporters

Units of the North group of forces liberated 12 settlements during the offensive... and more than 100 square kilometres of the territory of the Kursk region,

Russia's defence ministry said

By the time talks begin, the Kursk region will likely no longer be under Ukrainian control. Right now, we’re holding on to a piece of land with no clear purpose while suffering heavy losses. It’s like trying to use a domino tile in a card game,

he said

Currently, there is no threat of encirclement of our units in the Kursk region."

He also addressed concerns circulating in Ukrainian media that

The units are taking timely measures to maneuver to more favorable defense lines,

Syrsky said

A number of settlements on the border, the names of which appear in the reports of Russian propagandists, no longer actually exist - they have been destroyed by the aggressor's shelling,

Syrskyi said

Despite the involvement of a significant number of Russian troops in the offensive, reinforced by North Korean infantry, the enemy is suffering significant losses in manpower and equipment,

he added

We’re used to being betrayed… We can fight, it’s in our genes we can fight to the last Ukrainian - it’s not what we want. We have had people who have betrayed us inside the country and outside Ukraine,

said Roman, a soldier with Ukraine’s 3rd Brigade who was wounded fighting in Bakhmut

We are not losing and the Russians are not winning. They’re slowing their tempo, sending much smaller groups on the offensive and unable to make any significant moves in the east,

said a battalion commander “Kalas” who was fighting on the eastern front

There is no justification for the attacks on parts of the Alawite, Christian, Druze and other minorities, which have truly wounded the emotions and conscience of both the countries of the region and internationally,

said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei during a weekly press briefing

The future of the Kursk salient must be in doubt. Putin has probably highly incentivized his military leadership to take it back before any peace negotiations take place."

Retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan said on his Future Doctrina Substack

We have recorded that in the direction of Novenke, the enemy is still trying to create a zone of active hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, trying to gain a foothold there,

border guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko told Ukrainian national television

Over the past four days, Russian troops have cleared as much territory in the Kursk region as they sometimes could not even clear in a couple of months,

said a Russian blogger close to the defence ministry who goes by the name Rybar

The front has been pierced,

said Rybar,

Its capacity reaches 8.8 million tonnes of oil per year, making it one of the 10 largest in Russia. The refinery produces a wide range of petroleum products, including petrol, diesel fuel and fuel oil, which are critically important for transport and military equipment. This refinery has strategic significance for the Russian army, as it ensures a stable fuel supply for military operations,

Kovalenko stated

There’s nothing unique about the United States’ intelligence capabilities. It’s possible to replace them,

according to Mykhailo Samus, a military expert and director of the New Geopolitics Research Network

I just want to emphasize it’s insane because this suspension could impact our cities, our civilians. If they decided to, the Russians could use this opportunity, for example, to launch hundreds of missiles and drones and combat planes, and destroy some city center,

she told POLITICO

With anti-ballistic missile defense, every second is important,

Bielieskov noted

It might have real negative consequences for the daily life of civilians,

Bielieskov added, speaking on March 7, just hours before Russia unleashed salvos of ballistic missiles at Ukrainian military and civilian targets, stretching all the way from the country’s east to its west