According to acting Kursk Oblast governor Alexander Khinshtein, 63-year-old reporter Lu Yuguang from the Chinese television network Phoenix TV was wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike on the village of Korenevo.
North Korea has lost over 6,000 troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast—more than half of its deployed force, according to a June 15 UK defense intelligence report.
In March 2025, as Ukrainian forces made their final retreat from Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, new grey spots began to appear on open-source maps on the other side of the state border, in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. For the first time since 2022, when Moscow’s forces retreated
In the footage, the soldier is seen loading a grenade launcher while repeatedly shouting "Akhmat! Chechnya!" — a reference to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov's forces — before firing in the direction of a residential area.
Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024. Reinforced by North Korean troops, Russia launched a push to recapture the region in early March, with Ukraine being forced to pull back from much of the initially taken territory.
Russia's abuse of its own soldiers has been well documented throughout the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Claims of Russian President Vladimir Putin's helicopter being "at the epicenter" of a Ukrainian drone attack in Kursk Oblast were reportedly fabricated by the Kremlin, the Moscow Times reported on May 30, citing four Russian government sources.
Russia "has enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine," said Andrii Demchenko, a State Border Guard Service spokesperson.
The military described the Kursk campaign as an "unexpected and asymmetric" move that helped fill the so-called "exchange fund" — Ukrainian terminology for captured Russian soldiers who can be traded for Ukrainian POWs.
* Russian semiconductor plant making missile, jet parts hit in Ukrainian attack, military says * Putin visits Kursk Oblast for first time since Moscow claimed its recapture * Ukraine dismisses Russian claims of full control over Kursk Oblast, says fighting ongoing * Russia massing troops near Kharkiv Oblast ahead of possible attack, military warns
Ukraine’s military has once again been rocked by a scandal around its leadership culture, with another high-profile commander speaking out against the country’s top brass over bad orders leading to excess losses. On May 16, well-renowned officer Oleksandr Shyrshyn, callsign “Genius,” announced his resignation from his position as
"The statements by representatives of (Russia) about the alleged end of combat operations in Kursk Oblast do not reflect the actual situation," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.
During the visit, Putin met with Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein, heads of local municipalities, and members of volunteer organizations, the Kremlin's press service said.
Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. Every year, as the way war is fought constantly evolves on the battlefields of Ukraine, the visuals of the fighting on the ground that
The move follows the resignation of Oleksandr Shyrshyn, commander of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
"I have never received more stupid tasks than in the current direction," Oleksandr Shyrshyn wrote in a blunt Facebook post announcing his decision on May 16. "Someday I will tell you the details, but the stupid loss of people, trembling in front of a stupid generals, leads to nothing but failures."
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
Key developments on May 5: * Ahead of Putin's Victory Day Parade, Ukrainian drones reportedly target Moscow, Russian officials claim * Ukraine strikes Russian drone control center in Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff says * Special tribunal against Russian leadership may be launched in 2026, President's Office says * Czech Republic ready to train
As a result of the strike, up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed.
Despite declaring victory, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on April 30 that Ukrainian soldiers remain in the region, Russian state-controlled media reported.
North Korea has suffered about 4,700 casualties in total, including both dead and wounded, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said.
Both Moscow and Pyongyang have confirmed the involvement of North Korean troops fighting against Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast.
The statements come as both Moscow and Pyongyang admitted for the first time that North Korean soldiers were dispatched to fight alongside Russia in Kursk Oblast, with Russian President Vladimir Putin lauding them as "heroes."
"While the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, (Valery) Gerasimov, reports the 'liberation' of the Kursk region from Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces, operators of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center continue to carry out missions in the area successfully," the military said.
In a statement reported by the state-run KCNA news agency, the ruling Workers’ Party described the deployment as demonstrating the "highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship" between North Korea and Russia.
Ukraine also earlier denied the Kremlin's claim, saying that the statements "do not correspond to reality."
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down the late Pope Francis’ complex legacy in Ukraine, marked by a refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion outright amid statements of support for Ukraine’s struggle. Meanwhile, the deadliest attack on Kyiv in months leaves a dozen civilians dead and many more injured, as U.S. leadership reportedly considers recognizing Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea.
The situation in the Sumy Oblast remains "challenging," State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said.
Ukrainian troops face a difficult situation in Kursk, but the Kremlin's announcement was "a fake," the monitoring service DeepState reported on April 26.
Russian forces have fully retaken the territory of Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region partially held by Ukraine since last August, the Kremlin claims.
"Intense fighting continues in Sumy Oblast in areas near the state border, as well as on the territory of the Russian Federation," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote.
(Updated: )
