One of the captured North Korean soldiers admitted that he and his fellow soldiers believed they were fighting South Korean troops, which heightened their morale and aggression, South Korean newspaper Chosun Daily reported.
President Vladimir Putin told Russian media on Feb. 18 that Russian forces had crossed into Ukrainian territory from Kursk Oblast, a claim General Staff spokesperson Dmytro Lykhovyi has dismissed as part of a disinformation campaign.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Moscow lost nearly 20,000 soldiers in the battles for Russia's Kursk Oblast alone.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said the morale of Pyongyang's troops had been "broken" by the losses.
"This is impossible. Russia has never discussed and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he planned to exchange territories if U.S. President Donald Trump succeeds in bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, according to an interview with The Guardian published on Feb. 11.
The president said the cross-border offensive was "one of our most successful operations" and that it forced Russia "to give up their military units from the Zaporizhzhia direction."
Key developments on Feb. 7: * North Korean soldiers "brought in again" to fight in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Ukraine downs Russian guided bomb near Zaporizhzhia, Air Force says * Kyiv denies reports of alleged failed Russian Oreshnik missile launch at Ukraine * Trump ready to step up Russia sanctions to end war
"A significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we are re talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Key developments on Feb. 6: * First French Mirage fighter jets reportedly arrive in Ukraine * Ukraine launches new offensive in Kursk Oblast, Russian media claims, Kyiv yet to confirm * Ukraine strikes Russian drone launch site in Krasnodar Krai, military claims * U.S. won't present plan to end Russia's war at Munich
According to Russian military bloggers, Ukrainian forces attacked southeast of Sudzha, advancing toward the settlements of Fanaseevka and Ulanok.
Analysts believe North Korea is using the battlefield as a testing ground for its missile technology, enhancing its weapons for future use.
The operation in Kursk Oblast may become an "important part" of future negotiations to end Russia's war, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
"You will see what conditions the Russians will have for Ukraine regarding the Kursk direction when we reach a diplomatic settlement of the war's end. This was a crucial step," Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 5.
The building was severely damaged, and Moscow suffered significant losses among Russian personnel, the General Staff said.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov denied reports that North Korean soldiers have not been seen on the front line for weeks.
"Since mid-January, there have been no signs showing North Korean troops deployed to the Russian Kursk region engaging in battle," South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said, suggesting that heavy losses may have been one of the reasons for their withdrawal.
Key developments on Feb. 3: * Trump seeks Ukrainian rare earths in exchange for aid, Kyiv keen to agree * Kursk operation, long-range strikes in Russia — Syrskyi outlines Ukraine's priorities * Ukraine's laser technologies 'already hit certain objects,' commander says * Biden admin's escalation fears, 'chaotic' organization delayed aid to Ukraine, Reuters reports
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi outlined Ukraine's key priorities, including holding defensive lines, preventing Russian advances, and enhancing the use of unmanned systems.
"It was our military target, a fair one. There was a missile attack from our side and various types of weapons; a complex attack was launched against them," President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Associated Press on Feb. 2.
Sergei Yefremov, Vice-Governor of Russia's Primorsky Krai and commander of the Tiger military unit, was killed in Kursk Oblast, Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported on Feb. 2.
The plan was similar to Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024.
At least four people were killed and 84 rescued after the attack on the evening of Feb. 1, which Ukraine's General Staff says was carried out by Russia using a targeted guided aerial bomb strike.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia's alleged bombing of a nursing home in Kursk Oblast, comparing the attack on civilians to Russian war crimes in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine.
"At the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside the building preparing to evacuate," Ukraine's military said on Feb. 1, adding that nearly 95 people could be trapped under the rubble.
"As a result of the coordinated and precision strike, (Russia's) command and control post was destroyed," the statement read.
"These are standard measures – rotation due to large casualties," a military intelligence source commented for the Kyiv Independent, confirming the reports.
Key developments on Jan. 27: * North Korean troops seem to temporarily withdraw from one section of front in Kursk Oblast, military says * Russia claims to capture Velyka Novosilka, Ukraine admits partial retreat but says battles ongoing * Russia intensifies attacks near Pokrovsk, seeks to encircle Ukrainian forces * Zelensky appoints Ground Forces
North Korean forces are taking respite from hostilities, presumably to treat the wounded, wait for reinforcements, and work on mistakes made during the fighting in this sector of the front, according to Sky News.
North Korea is expected to send reinforcements to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, mainly gun and rocket artillery units, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The War Zone magazine published on Jan. 23.
Key developments on Jan. 22: * Ukraine's Special Forces say they killed 21 North Korean soldiers, show combat footage * Kyiv court arrests three senior officers accused of failed defense of Kharkiv Oblast * Russia lacks manpower for major breakthrough in Ukraine, top NATO general says * Russia issued ultimatum to Ukraine in 2022
Soldiers of the 8th Regiment of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces resisted an assault of North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast for eight hours, killing 21 and wounding 40, the unit said on Jan. 22.
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