Categories: INTERVIEWS

Ukrainian soldiers on the Kursk offensive: first impressions and local reactions

“Personally, we advanced 25 kilometers deep”: Ukrainian soldiers shared their experiences about the first days of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ offensive in the Kursk region.

The soldiers described their mindset as they entered Russian territory and the level of resistance they encountered in a report for Suspilne Sumy.

Pavlo was part of the military unit that was among the first to enter the Kursk region. “Fear, adrenaline, and when you realize that you’ve already crossed into their territory, you think about everything we’ve endured, what our women and children have suffered—now it’s their turn,” Pavlo said. He sustained shrapnel wounds when his unit advanced about 30 kilometers into Russian territory. “We were clearing houses, searching for Russian soldiers, and then an explosion happened right in the yard. I fell, started yelling that I was hit. They rushed over, applied tourniquets, and I waited for evacuation. I didn’t believe I would make it out alive. They put tourniquets on both my legs and both arms, and then our guys arrived. Glory to Ukraine!” Pavlo has been in service for about six months, fighting in the Donetsk and Kharkiv directions. He shared his impressions of the Russian fortifications in the Kursk region: “I walked through their trenches—huge trenches, 3 meters deep, lined with wood on the walls, even the floor was wooden. Very large, but they abandoned them because they knew we were coming.”

Oleksandr entered Russian territory with another unit. “There was a sense of uplift because we finally had work to do—being able to pay them back for everything they did to us. But we’re not savages; we don’t harm civilians or loot. We’re just trying to make it easier for other guys at the front, those in Donbas and Zaporizhzhia, where it’s really tough right now. Personally, we advanced more than 25 kilometers deep, even beyond Sudzha. We ran into a small ambush while clearing one village. Fortunately, my injury was minor.”

Oleksandr also described how the Ukrainian military was received by the civilian population in the Kursk region. “Most civilians were scared, but the older ones didn’t seem to care much. I didn’t see them viewing us as enemies, despite Russian propaganda. We met people who were very frightened, but after talking to us, they calmed down.” Oleksandr has been serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces for over a year and has fought in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk directions. He noted the stark difference between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers in the Kursk region: “We are several steps ahead. It’s clear that our soldiers are better trained and more motivated.”

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