Kursk Map Shows Ukraine’s Salient Collapsing After US Blocks Intel Sharing

Russian troops are collapsing the northern part of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast after intensified operations in the area that follow the U.S. blocking intelligence sharing with Kyiv, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The Washington, D.C., think tank’s latest map outlines the state of the front line in the Russian region. Its most-recent update describes how Russian forces have advanced in the city of Sudzha, which Kyiv’s troops seized soon after its incursion launched last August.

The timing of the start of Russia’s collapse of the Ukrainian Kursk salient at the same time as the Trump administration suspended U.S. intelligence sharing was noteworthy, the think tank said. Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment.

Why It Matters

On March 5, the Trump administration paused U.S. intelligence for Ukraine’s forces, sparking fears that this hands Vladimir Putin’s troops a battlefield and negotiating advantage as the White House seeks to broker talks to end the war.

What To Know

In the two days after the Trump administration suspended U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Russian forces intensified offensive operations to expel Kyiv’s forces from Kursk Oblast, the ISW said.

Russian forces have collapsed the northern part of the Ukrainian salient, with geolocated footage showing their recapture of settlements and fields northwest and south of Sudzha.

Pro-Russian military bloggers said that Ukrainian troops were holding limited positions but most of Kyiv’s forces had withdrawn from positions in the northern part of the salient.

The ISW said that the timing of the U.S. intelligence freeze with the collapse was “noteworthy” and that, previously, the Russian military had not prioritized pushing Ukrainian forces out of Kursk Oblast.

A Ukrainian government source said, according to Time magazine, intelligence sharing suspension has impacted Ukrainian operations in the Russian region the most, although the ISW concluded a clear link was as yet unclear.

On his Futura Doctrina Substack, retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan said Putin has probably highly incentivized his military leadership to take Kursk back before any peace negotiations take place.

The tenuous nature of the lines of communication from the northern elements of the salient back into Ukraine is probably seeing a lot of contingency planning and war gaming in case the Ukrainians need to conduct a withdrawal, Ryan added.

What People Are Saying

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said: “Russian forces are collapsing the northern part of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast following several days of intensified Russian activity in the area.

“The temporal correlation between the suspension of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine and the start of Russia’s collapse of the Ukrainian Kursk salient is noteworthy.”

Retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan said on his Future Doctrina Substack: “The future of the Kursk salient must be in doubt. Putin has probably highly incentivized his military leadership to take it back before any peace negotiations take place.”

What Happens Next

Ukraine will be focused on hanging onto territory in Kursk ahead of any possible talks, but the fight will be difficult, and all eyes will be turned to the talks in Saudi Arabia, which start on Tuesday between the United States and Ukraine.