A Russian special forces commander, who has fought on four fronts across eastern Ukraine since joining the invasion nearly three years ago, now claims the fiercest battles he has witnessed are occurring closer to home. He describes the Russian army’s struggle to reclaim a small area of land from Ukrainian forces in the town of Sudzha, located in the Kursk region, as the most brutal fighting he’s seen during the entire military operation.

The Fiercest Fighting of the Ukraine War May Be in Russia

The long-drawn conflict over Sudzha and its surrounding area has unexpectedly become a key battleground in the war over Ukraine’s future. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have committed significant resources to securing Sudzha, a small town near the border that was once peaceful.https://svtoday.org/

“These are the most savage battles I’ve encountered — nothing like this throughout the entire special military operation,” said the commander, who leads around 200 men in the Kursk region. Speaking from the front line late last year, he requested to be identified only by his call sign, Hades, as per military protocol.

Both sides view Kursk as a crucial area, central to the potential peace talks that U.S. President Trump has promised. Military analysts suggest that Ukraine has deployed some of its best troops to Kursk, aiming to leverage its control over the region as a bargaining tool in negotiations.

For Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, the Ukrainian offensive — marking the first invasion of Russian territory since World War II — is a constant source of embarrassment. Determined not to make any concessions to regain the territory, Putin has sent tens of thousands of troops, including conscripts and North Korean allies, to repel the Ukrainian forces, according to U.S. officials.

Lt. Gen. Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat special forces from Russia’s Chechnya region, said in an interview from Kursk that the Ukrainian forces wanted to engage in peace talks from a position of strength. “When the time for talks comes, it’s unclear if they can still claim to be here,” he added.

As the conflict intensifies, Russian soldiers in Kursk expect the battle to become even bloodier. “We’re anticipating a Bakhmut 2.0,” said Hades. Bakhmut, a Ukrainian city captured by Wagner forces in 2023 after a brutal nine-month siege, had high casualties and was a symbol of Ukraine’s resolute defense despite Russia’s numerical and firepower advantage.

One unnamed Russian commander warned of the enormous cost of the battle ahead, emphasizing the unimaginable scale of bloodshed and casualties.

In late 2023, a New York Times photographer gained rare access to Kursk, interviewing Russian soldiers and civilians affected by the conflict. Many soldiers interviewed were veterans of Wagner, who had joined Akhmat after their paramilitary group’s failed mutiny. Others were recent volunteers lured by higher enlistment bonuses and the chance to fight within Russia itself.

“This is our land, our people, our values,” said Aleksandr, a contract soldier injured by mortar fire in Kursk, speaking from a medical center. “We must fight for them.”

Since Ukraine’s invasion six months ago, both sides have suffered significant losses in Kursk’s open terrain, dotted with small villages. Russia has managed to recover about 60% of the 500 square miles initially seized by Ukrainian forces, although casualty figures are closely guarded by both armies.

Between the warring forces are around 2,000 to 3,000 Russian civilians who were caught in the chaos of Ukraine’s rapid advance and Russia’s failure to evacuate them. Both sides have accused each other of failing to create safe passage for the remaining residents, leaving them to endure harsh winter conditions without adequate food, water, heating, or electricity. As Russian forces close in, these civilians are subjected to increasing bombardments.

Experts and residents worry that Russia’s reliance on heavy artillery and Ukraine’s steadfast defense of Sudzha could lead to a humanitarian disaster, reminiscent of the horrors of the Chechen civil war in the 1990s. By late January, Russian troops were only a few miles from the town center.

Meanwhile, the suffering in Ukraine caused by the invasion has been far more widespread, with Russian strikes targeting residential areas, hospitals, churches, and vital infrastructure.

Military analyst Pasi Paroinen from Finland-based Black Bird Group predicts that the battle for Sudzha will be costly for both sides, especially as Ukraine has committed its strongest forces to defending Kursk.

Lyubov, a mother of four from Kursk, is among those advocating for a humanitarian corridor to evacuate relatives trapped in Sudzha. She fears that the upcoming assault will leave them with little chance of survival. “By the time Russian forces reach the settlements, only ruins and ashes will remain,” she said. “This rescue system is dreadful.”

Civilians who managed to escape Sudzha’s surrounding areas described scenes of devastation, hinting at the grim nature of the upcoming battle for the town.

Zoya, 64, recalled how Ukrainian soldiers who initially arrived in her village of Pogrebki in August 2023 were kind, offering cigarettes and help. However, as the fighting escalated, the soldiers grew more hostile, viewing civilians with suspicion. Zoya’s husband died when a drone exploded nearby, and she spent days in a basement shelter, eventually escaping after walking five miles through a war-torn landscape before reaching Russian lines in November.

Similarly, Natalia, 69, who uses a wheelchair, recounted the Ukrainian soldiers’ initial kindness in her village of Novoivanovka, offering food and insulin for her diabetes. But the situation worsened as the fighting moved closer, and her husband was shot by a Ukrainian soldier. Later, Russian troops urged her to escape, and she was eventually rescued.

As the Russian military closes in on Sudzha, residents are afraid of facing the same harrowing conditions. Earlier in February, a missile struck a boarding school in Sudzha sheltering displaced people, killing at least four. Both sides have blamed each other for the strike.

Yulia, a Russian woman whose parents survived the attack, said Ukrainian soldiers assisted in digging out the survivors from the rubble. Sergei, a Russian man whose family is trapped in Sudzha, said the video messages he receives from them are becoming too painful to watch, noting their physical deterioration and the ever-present sounds of explosions.

“I’m sorry for crying,” his sister said in one video, sending birthday wishes. “I wish I could have done this in person, even by phone. You always complained I didn’t call enough.”