Today, there is interesting news from the Kursk direction. As the situation in the northern part of the Kursk salient became increasingly dangerous, the Ukrainians launched several operations to ensure their controlled withdrawal, targeting Russian defensive and offensive capabilities and command posts and conducting daring raids against the advancing enemy.

Ukrainian troops ruined Russia’s plans to penetrate the line. The Ukrainian withdrawal was a calculated response to deteriorating battlefield conditions. Russian forces had advanced to key positions, gaining fire control over Ukrainian supply routes, and any further delay would have risked encirclement.

Worsening the situation, the suspension of US intelligence sharing left Ukrainian forces without real-time insight into Russian troop movements. Previously, live intelligence feeds had enabled Ukrainian commanders to preempt enemy advances, but now they had to rely solely on their own reconnaissance.

Withdrawing under fire is one of the most complex operations in warfare, requiring precise coordination, disciplined execution, and a strong rear guard to hold off the enemy while the main force disengages. The Ukrainian commanders knew that if Russians launched a well-coordinated push during the withdrawal, they could potentially exploit a weak point and overrun a large part of the Ukrainian contingent in Kursk.

Ukrainian precision strikes cripple Russian offensive

To prevent this, the Ukrainians created a plan with several key steps: strikes on Russian command posts to sow chaos, attacks against Russian artillery to reduce fire support, and a series of disruptive hit-and-run raids supplemented by drone operations to delay the Russian advance, allowing for a controlled withdrawal.

First, Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system to clear the skies and attack Russian command posts, which aimed to sabotage the command structure and prevent a coordinated assault. Geolocated footage shows one such air strike against a military facility near Elizavetovka that disrupted Russian coordination, with Russians losing cohesion and momentum even before they started attacking.

Then, as can be seen in several recently released footage, Ukrainians conducted counter-battery strikes on Russian artillery, reducing the Russian ability to fire on the main Ukrainian force during their withdrawal.

Ukrainian forces faced severe danger despite their preparations, so they sent some of their rear guard units to conduct several highly mobile hit-and-run raids, preventing Russian forces from advancing too quickly. Geolocated footage shows how a group of Ukrainian soldiers, in cooperation with a BMP-2, executed a clearing operation of Russian positions.

Another raid by Special Forces successfully confused the enemy. They were expecting Ukrainians to withdraw but were instead confronted by a series of localized counterattacks in which Ukrainians overpowered and eliminated the unprepared Russian soldiers.

At the same time, Ukrainian operators conducted dozens of drone strikes on advancing Russian units while they attempted to take ground that Ukrainians had abandoned. Their advance was disrupted by kamikaze drones and drone-dropped grenades, causing more casualties and slowing them down further.

Ukrainian rear guard heroics ensure a safe escape

These combined efforts created a crucial window of opportunity, enabling the main Ukrainian force to execute an orderly withdrawal. Russian attempts to disrupt it were met with swift and resourceful responses. In one instance, Ukrainian soldiers, after early warning systems detected an incoming Russian drone, stepped out of their vehicle and successfully shot down the incoming enemy FPV.

Meanwhile, others withdrew under the protection of armored vehicles, as they later showed off how their American-supplied HMMWV withstood three direct drone strikes yet managed to stay driving and keep the soldiers inside unharmed. This operation was possible due to the Ukrainian rear guard’s heroic cover.

Overall, despite operating under challenging conditions, including the loss of US intelligence sharing, Ukrainian forces successfully withdrew from the northern part of the Kursk salient. By effectively disrupting Russian command structures, targeting artillery, and employing several delaying operations, they ensured that their retreat was a carefully managed maneuver.

Now positioned in more defensible locations, Ukrainian forces are better prepared for the next phase of the battle, having once again demonstrated their ability to adapt and outmaneuver a numerically superior enemy.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.