Beating a retreat Mixed emotions as Ukrainians give up territorial gains

Under constant attack from drones attached to fibre optic cables, the soldiers scrambled in groups of two or three along hidden tracks or through fields, often walking miles on foot to get back into Ukrainian territory.

- Shaun Walker

Their retreat from the Kursk region, carried out in stages over the past two weeks, appears to mark the end of one of the most audacious and surprising operations of the conflict, and strips Ukraine of one of its few solid bargaining chips in possible peace negotiations with Russia.

For seven months, Ukraine held on to a chunk of Russian territory, including the town of Sudzha, which had a prewar population of about 5,000. It was the first time a foreign army had occupied Russian land since the second world war.

Russia, with the help of North Korean troops, has been pushing Ukrainian forces back and in recent weeks the pressure on Ukrainian positions has become overwhelming.

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin donned military fatigues to visit a command post in the region and on Thursday Russia announced it had regained full control of Sudzha.

While Ukrainian troops continue to hold a few remaining villages in Kursk, soldiers involved in the operation said it was probably only a matter of time before the retreat was concluded.

"The Russians are already pushing into Sumy region [in Ukraine], all the tasks now are defensive," said Serhiy, a special operations commander who has now left the area.

The demand from Putin that his troops create a "buffer zone" close to the border suggests a Russian offensive into Ukraine may be on the cards and authorities have already evacuated several vulnerable settlements.

The end of the seven-month operation has led to mixed assessments in Ukraine, with some saying it achieved many of its goals, and others wondering whether it was a distraction from the main war effort that cost Ukrainian lives for no tangible gain.