DeepState records that the Armed Forces no longer control Suzha . What is known?
12 March 20:57
The DeepState monitoring project records that the Ukrainian Defense Forces no longer control Sudzha, Kursk region, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
As of 15:00 on March 12, the situation in the area of Sudzha in the Kursk region looks like the Ukrainian Armed Forces no longer control the town.
At 15:29, DeepState reported that fighting continues on the outskirts of Suzha.
“The enemy is exerting active pressure from the east and north, using all the resources it has accumulated over time. The network, in particular, in telegram channels, after the update, spreads reports of a complete withdrawal from the city of Suja, which is not true, because people who spread such statements should look more closely at the map and see the gray zone on the northern and western outskirts of the city, where fighting continues, despite publications from Muscovites in the center of Suja,” the monitoring project said in a statement.
It added that the situation remains difficult, and the Defense Forces are doing everything possible to stop the enemy’s advance.
In a morning report, the General Staff reported that in the Kursk region, Defense Forces units repelled 33 attacks by the Russian military yesterday.
At the same time, Suspilne TV channel, citing a military officer whose unit is stationed in Kursk region, reports that Russian troops entered Sudzha, as Russians established fire control over the Yunakivka-Sudzha road, a key route to the city from Sumy region.
According to Roman Kostenko, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Defense, he spoke with the soldiers who were in Suzha in the morning. And they did not confirm the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from there, although they confirmed that the Russians had entered and “control a certain territory.”
“There is information that the Russians have entered a certain part, fighting continues, the Russians control a certain territory there. But I have no information that our troops have completely withdrawn from Sudzhy,” the official said.
According to him, the situation in the area will remain difficult, as the Russian occupation army is putting pressure on the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In turn, the Ukrainian command is trying to stabilize and restore the situation, as well as to attract new reserves.
“But the enemy continues to exert pressure, including information that it has entered the territory of Ukraine in some areas and is trying to hold our territories,” Kostenko added.
A number of propaganda channels have spread a video showing Russian troops allegedly already in the city center – the footage looks like Soviet Square, but it is unknown when the video was shot.
Hromadske journalist Diana Butsko draws attention to the level of destruction in Suzha.
“Russians publish videos from the center of Suja. They are running around with their flag. The Ukrainian military are withdrawing from their positions in the Kursk region. But I wanted to draw attention to something else. Look how destroyed Suja is. I haven’t seen any recent videos from there for a long time. We, journalists, have been banned from going there for a long time. The military said that the Russians were destroying it, and recently they have been using indiscriminate anti-aircraft guns more actively. “They ‘liberated’ the ruins once again.”
During a press conference on March 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were fulfilling their tasks. And the Russian troops are trying to exert maximum pressure there.
“The military command [of Ukraine] is doing what it has to do – preserving the lives of our soldiers as much as possible,” Zelensky said.
Commenting on the possible increase in pressure as peace talks approach, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian side understands what the Russians will demonstrate in the coming days.
“The question is not even that they are raising the degree on the Kursk direction. They will make various intimidations, including nuclear ones. We need to understand that this is Russia’s methodology before any format of diplomacy. We need to look at this soberly and respond to real threats, not just informational ones,” he said.
