By Ievgeniia Sivorka and James Marson
KYIV, Ukraine—An accelerating advance by Russian and North Korean forces is threatening Ukraine’s toehold in Kursk, the slice of Russian territory that Ukrainian officials had hoped would give them leverage in any peace talks.
Russian and North Korean troops in recent days seized several villages in the Kursk region and used overwhelming drone power to largely cut supply routes to the main Ukrainian force in the city of Sudzha, according to soldiers in the area and analysts.
The advance came ahead of talks this week between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
It also followed the U.S. decision to halt intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The move immediately reduced Ukraine’s ability to carry out long-range strikes, which rely on accurate targeting data, and over time will deprive Ukraine of crucial ammunition and weapons.
Ukraine had since the start of the year stabilized much of the 800-mile front line inside Ukraine, stalling Russian advances and counterattacking around the embattled eastern cities of Toretsk and Pokrovsk, which Russia had been on the verge of seizing.
But the quickening advances in Kursk threaten a surprise Ukrainian incursion launched in August that quickly overwhelmed unprepared Russian defenses and seized dozens of towns and villages.
One Ukrainian artillery gunner deployed on the Kursk front said he was firing to provide cover for soldiers pulling back from the area.
“I’m covering their withdrawal so that they don’t become encircled,” the soldier said in a phone message. “Right, f— them up,” he said to a colleague.
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