"We expect Bachmut 2.0" Russians report from Kursk - and venture a gloomy forecast

In the Russian border region of Kursk, commanders are reporting fierce fighting like they have never experienced before. The situation reminds many of the bloody battles in Bachmut.

Russian commanders have given an insight into the fighting in the Kursk region in an interview with the "New York Times". The town of Sudzha in particular, near the Ukrainian border, has become an unexpected focal point of the conflict, according to high-ranking officers.

An officer of the Russian special forces, who commands around 200 soldiers, spoke of the fiercest fighting he had ever experienced. "These are the most brutal battles - I have never experienced anything like this during the entire special military operation," he said. In Russia, the war of aggression against Ukraine is officially referred to as a "special military operation".

The soldiers assume that the situation will continue to deteriorate. Another fighter compared the situation to the months-long battles in the Ukrainian city of Bachmut, which led to heavy losses on both sides: "We are expecting Bachmut 2.0."

Man dies in his wife's arms

For many soldiers fighting in their own country, this is an additional incentive to take part in the war. "This is our country, these are our people and our values," explained a soldier named Alexander, who continued to fight in Kursk despite being injured by a grenade attack.

The New York Times also reports that thousands of Russian civilians are still holding out in the region. They are not only exposed to the fighting, but are also struggling with the hardships of winter - without sufficient food, heating or electricity.

One moving example is the story of a married couple from Kursk: Zoya and her husband lived for a time on frozen potatoes from their garden. Her husband died when a drone exploded near him. He died shortly afterwards in his wife's arms.

Russian troops have now recaptured around 60 percent of the area in Kursk that was originally conquered by Ukraine. But the price is high: the civilian population is suffering - and the fighting is claiming new victims every day.