Sudzha Reduced to Ruins as Russian Forces Obliterate the City (Video)

The Russian army has almost completely destroyed the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region in an attempt to dislodge Ukrainian forces. The devastation, caused primarily by airstrikes, mirrors the widespread destruction seen in other Ukrainian settlements that fell under Russian occupation.

While the Russian Ministry of Defence claims to have recaptured Sudzha, video footage circulating online paints a starkly different picture. The images show a city reduced to rubble, with barely any civilian buildings left intact. Andrey Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Disaster Relief at Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, confirmed the level of destruction, stating that Russian forces had practically wiped Sudzha off the map.

The situation remains highly fluid as Ukrainian commanders assess their strategy in the Kursk region based on real time battlefield conditions. In the meantime, Russian forces continue to press attacks in the border areas of Sumy Oblast, where Ukrainian troops are actively resisting and inflicting losses on the enemy.

Ukraine has controlled parts of the Kursk region since August following a surprise cross border offensive that seized around 500 square miles of territory, including Sudzha. The operation forced Russia to stretch its military across multiple fronts at a time when Ukraine was losing ground in other areas. Holding territory inside Russia was also seen as a potential leverage point for future ceasefire negotiations.

Russian forces, now reinforced by North Korean soldiers, have intensified efforts to reclaim the occupied areas. The renewed push comes as Ukraine faces mounting pressure due to the Trump administration’s decision to halt military and intelligence aid, weakening Kyiv’s defensive capabilities.

With the situation in Sudzha deteriorating, Ukrainian officials have signalled the possibility of a strategic withdrawal in the coming days. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited a command post near the front line in Kursk, appearing in military fatigues. He praised Russian troops for retaking much of the lost territory and urged them to reclaim the entirety of the Kursk region from Ukrainian control.