According to the BBC's collection of some Ukrainian soldiers, the withdrawal from the town of Sudzha - the largest stronghold that Ukraine has ever controlled in Russia's Kursk region - took place amid heavy fire and Russian dominance of troops.
Volodymyr: "Unsold all day and night"
On March 9, a soldier nicknamed " Volodymyr" sent a message to BBC on Telegram, describing the chaos in Sudzha.
"The front line is collapsing. The Ukrainian army tried to withdraw, but the convoys of vehicles and soldiers were burned down by Russian drones on the way. Can't leave during the day" - Volodymyr wrote.
A major route connecting Ukraine's Sudzha and Sumy provinces is a vital artery for transporting human resources, logistics and equipment, but by March 9, it was completely under Russian fire control.
"You can see two or three Russian UAVs in the sky every minute. Too much. We all know that Russia will try to cut this route, but the commander was completely surprised when it really happened," Volodymyr said.
Before Sudzha's defeat, Volodymyr said Ukraine was being pressured by three sides.
Maksym: The convoy of vehicles disbanded, the road withdrew and the vehicle was packed
On March 11, "Maksym" said that the Ukrainian army was ordered to withdraw in an organized manner.
"We left the front line as ordered, but Russia has mobilized a large force to re- seize the area," he revealed.
Military experts estimate that Russia has deployed about 70,000 troops for this operation.
In addition, Russia has also mobilized elite UAV units, using both death drones and FPV drones to control key logistics routes. Some UAVs are controlled via fiber optic cables, making Ukraine's electronic jamming system useless.
As a result, according to Maksym, "dozens of military vehicles were destroyed, causing congestion on the supply route".
Anton: "D across the disaster"
As an officer at the Kursk front command, "Anton" confirmed the heavy damage to Ukraine under Russian UAV fire.
"Previously, we had an advantage in UAVs, now we don't. They have more drones, more accurate attacks, and overwhelming numbers. We almost died many times" - Anton admitted.
According to Anton, Ukraine is no longer able to keep Kursk: "militarily, this front has run out of strategic significance. Keeping it is useless."
Dmytro: "Murderer in the sky, every centimeter is life and death"
In social media news on March 11-12, "Dmytro" described the withdrawal scene as "a horror film".
"The roads were full of car bodies, armored vehicles and off-road vehicles were destroyed. The dead and the injured were everywhere" - he wrote.
According to Dmytro, Ukrainian soldiers were being chased by UAVs. He recounted the horrifying moment when his car was involved in a mudder accident. While the group was trying to push the vehicle out, an FPV UAV plunged down to attack.
"Luckily it slipped, but a teammate of mine was injured. We had to hide in the forest for 2 hours before being rescued."
Many Ukrainian soldiers had to withdraw by road, traveling 15-20km on foot. "The situation has gone from difficult to critical, then disaster," Dmytro said.
On March 14, Dmytro wrote: "Everything is over in Kursk... This campaign is not a success".
What is the future for Ukraine in Kursk?
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the army had " retreated to more favorable positions" and was still present in Kursk and would fight "as long as necessary."
He said Russia had suffered more than 50,000 casualties in the operation.
However, the current reality is very different from last August. Military analysts say Ukraine has lost about two-thirds of the 1,000 square kilometres it once controlled in Kursk.
All hopes of using Kursk to exchange territory with Russia seem to have disappeared. But the price that Ukraine has to pay is still immeasurable.
