Ukrainian troops fighting in Russia’s Kursk Region have been given orders to hold out until the new US president is sworn in, according to the BBC.
Several brigades pushed into the border region in early August, heading towards a nuclear power plant. The incursion’s objective was to divert Russian forces from the Donbass front, the Ukrainian military admitted to Western media.
“The situation is getting worse every day,” one of the soldiers told the BBC in a text message, according to an article published on Monday.
Messages received from Ukrainian soldiers via Telegram “paint a dismal picture of a battle they don’t properly understand and fear they might be losing,” the UK state broadcaster said.
The messages were “almost uniformly bleak,” according to the BBC. One soldier said defeat was “only a matter of time.”
“They speak of dire weather conditions and a chronic lack of sleep caused by Russia’s constant bombardment, which includes the use of terrifying, 3,000kg glide bombs,” the outlet noted. “They’re also in retreat.”
Some soldiers argued that the original mission to divert Moscow’s resources had failed. Russian forces have made major advances in southern Donbass since early August. Either way, the current mission is to hold on until US President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in at the end of January.
“The main task facing us is to hold the maximum territory until Trump’s inauguration and the start of negotiations,” said one soldier, identified as Pavel. “In order to exchange it for something later. No-one knows what.”
About 40% of the Kursk territory the Ukrainians initially seized has been retaken by Russia, the BBC said. One soldier, Vadim, said they were “struggling a bit” to hold positions.
Asked whether Western long-range missiles that Vladimir Zelensky wanted permission to use have helped the situation, the troops said they had not noticed.
“We don’t talk about missiles,” said a marine identified as Miroslav.
He compared the fighting to Krynki, where he fought previously. Hundreds of Ukrainian marines perished trying to take and hold the village on the left bank of the Dnieper, in an operation reportedly planned and pushed on Kiev by the UK.
“Good idea but bad implementation,” Miroslav said. “Media effect, but no military result.”
Kiev has claimed that up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Kursk to help the Russians. Western capitals have cited this to justify the missile policy change. Ukrainian soldiers have been offered drones or extra leave if they bring in a Korean prisoner. They have yet to encounter any.
“It’s very difficult to find a Korean in the dark Kursk forest,” Pavel messaged the BBC. “Especially if he’s not here.”
Commanders in Kiev, however, insisted to the BBC that the Kursk incursion still had a purpose.
“This situation annoys [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” one officer said, on condition of anonymity.