Retreat from Kursk: Ukrainian troops tell of catastrophe and panic

Five soldiers tell the BBC of their withdrawal in the face of overwhelming firepower and drones.

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The BBC has received extensive accounts from Ukrainian troops, who recount a "catastrophic" withdrawal in the face of heavy fire, and columns of military equipment destroyed and constant attacks from swarms of Russian drones.

The soldiers, who spoke over social media, were given aliases to protect their identity. Some gave accounts of a "collapse" as Ukraine lost Sudzha, the largest town it held.

Ukrainian restrictions on travel to the front have meant it is not possible to get a full picture of the situation. But this is how five Ukrainian soldiers described to us what had happened.

On 9 March, "Volodymyr" sent a Telegram post to the BBC saying he was still in Sudzha, where there was "panic and collapse of the front".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q198zyppqo

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