Over six months of fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Russian losses have reached nearly 40,000 personnel, with over 16,000 killed, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Feb. 6.
Ukrainian forces have also reportedly captured 909 Russian soldiers during the operation, bolstering Kyiv's exchange fund and enabling the return of hundreds of Ukrainian defenders held in Russian prisons.
"The Kursk offensive remains an example of sudden, asymmetric, and successful actions by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, allowing them to inflict heavy losses on a superior enemy and seize the initiative on the battlefield," the General Staff added.
Ukraine has held positions in Kursk Oblast since launching a cross-border incursion in August 2024, initially seizing around 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.
While Kyiv has since lost roughly half of the captured area, fighting continues as Ukraine aims to use its presence in Kursk Oblast as leverage in potential negotiations.
"The operation forced the Russian occupiers to transfer significant resources to the Kursk Oblast, weakening their positions on other frontlines," the statement reads.
Martin Fornusek
The operation in Kursk Oblast may become an "important part" of future negotiations to end Russia's war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 5.
The General Staff also highlighted that Moscow was forced to seek military assistance from North Korea, which deployed around 12,000 troops to Kursk Oblast. Of those, an estimated 4,000 have been killed.
One of the three North Korean brigades was "effectively destroyed," while the other two lost combat capability, forcing Pyongyang's forces to withdraw from the front lines, the General Staff said.
North Korean troops have not been engaged in combat in Kursk Oblast since mid-January, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Feb. 4.
On the same day, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov denied reports that North Korean soldiers have not been seen on the front line for weeks.
Budanov noted that the number of North Korean troops has decreased, and Ukraine is trying to establish why.
"We have to wait for some time to see if there are any real changes or if this is just lower activity for a couple of days," Budanov said.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
