After an elite Russian drone group launched a wave of attacks on the main supply line supporting the Ukrainian garrison in Sudzha, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Russia’s Kursk Oblast a few days ago, likely under the cover of darkness, writes military analyst David Axe in a report for Forbes.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operation in the Kursk region is still underway, with ongoing combat and the withdrawal of troops from areas captured in August 2024. Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing into the border of Sumy Oblast, aiming to sever Kyiv’s supply lines. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, states that fighting continues in the suburbs of Sudzha city in Kursk Oblast and the surrounding areas. The city itself has been almost completely ruined by Russian guided bombs and artillery.
Kyiv forces abandoned heavy equipment they couldn’t take with them, effectively leaving it for the Russians to capture.
As a result, the Russians seized “the best vehicles and artillery belonging to some of Ukraine’s best brigades,” notes the analyst.
For instance, M-1 Abrams tanks, which were provided by the US in 2023, equipping one battalion of the 47th Mechanized Brigade.
“Fighting aggressively, frequently on the attack, the 47th Mechanized Brigade often found itself abandoning damaged M-1s in the contested no-man’s-land between Ukrainian and Russian lines, complicating efforts to recover the multi-million-dollar tanks. So it should come as no surprise that, as the brigade fled Kursk, it left behind another damaged Abrams … and the Russians captured it,” Axe writes.
As a result, the 47th Mechanized Brigade lost at least ten and no more than 19 M-1 tanks. However, 49 new M-1s are expected to arrive soon as military aid from Australia.
Another valuable asset that Ukraine has likely abandoned on the Kursk Oblast is the M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.
The Forbes analyst believes these vehicles may be the best in the Russia-Ukraine war due to their mobility, protection, and firepower combination.
The previous Joe Biden administration sent over 300 Bradleys to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian military distributed them among at least six battalions, including the 47th Mechanized Brigade. So far, Ukraine has lost at least 80 Bradleys, and at least one was captured by Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.
The problem, however, is that Ukraine is unlikely to receive more Bradleys unless US President Donald Trump’s administration commits to additional shipments.
The last weapon that might have been lost in Russia is the British-made M-777 howitzer.
The arrival of the first British-made M-777 howitzers in Ukraine in the spring of 2022 marked a turning point, signaling the transition from outdated Soviet artillery and ammunition to modern Western guns and shells.
In total, Ukraine received about 200 M-777s. However, their significance makes them high-priority targets for Russian forces, and over the course of the war, Ukraine has lost at least 55 of these howitzers. During the retreat from Kursk Oblast, Russian troops captured one of them—possibly the first intact M-777 to fall into Russian hands.
Related:
- Finland announces new €200 million military aid package for Ukraine
- Russians increase pressure on Toretsk, redeploy additional forces from other directions, Ukraine says
- AP: Ukraine depleted its limited supply of ATACMS missiles months ago
- US resumes intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine
