Bloodied Ukrainian troops fear losing more land in hard-won Kursk

A Ukrainian soldier walks along a street in Sudzha, in the Kursk region of Russia (AP)

Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied and demoralised by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk, a region some want to hold at all costs while others question the value of having gone in at all.

Battles are so intense that some Ukrainian commanders cannot evacuate the dead. Communication lags and poorly timed tactics have cost lives, and troops have little way to counter-attack.