"Among them are officers, sergeants, and privates from motorized rifle units, Marines, airborne troops, and other units, coming from various Russian regions and the occupied city of Sevastopol," the Airborne Assault Troops' press service said.
Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war (POWs) in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Jan. 9. The Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur breaks down everything we learned from the POWs' interrogation video released by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A Ukrainian mopping-up group encountered one surviving North Korean fighter who had set an unsuccessful trap. The soldier attempted to mislead the Ukrainian soldiers and then detonated a grenade to avoid capture, fatally injuring himself, according to the Special Operations Forces.
Key developments on Jan. 12: * 'Irrefutable evidence of North Korea's involvement' — Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean POWs in Kursk Oblast * Ukrainian drone hits large oil refinery in Russia’s Tatarstan, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation confirms * Russia launches double airstrike on nursing home in Kursk
According to the military, around 2,000 people remain in areas under Ukrainian control. Over 70 people are currently staying in the nursing home that came under attack.
The two wounded soldiers received necessary medical care and are in custody in Kyiv, according to Zelensky.
Key developments on Jan. 9: * Ukraine's 47th Brigade releases video of 'massive' Russian attack repelled in Kursk Oblast * 4,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded fighting against Ukraine, Zelensky claims * 'It would be crazy to drop the ball now' — Zelensky urges continued unity, support for Ukraine at Ramstein * Kyiv,
Russia deployed "a huge number of soldiers," with Ukrainian forces killing 45 troops and injuring 53, Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade claimed.
Key developments on Jan. 7: * Ukraine hits Russia's infantry brigade command post in Kursk Oblast, military claims * In historic record, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims * Trump blames Biden for provoking Russia's war by supporting Ukraine's NATO aspirations * Ukraine says it holds Kurakhove's
"Such fire damage is an integral part of combat operations of Ukraine's Defense Forces units, which are engaged in combat operations on the territory of the Russian Federation," the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.
This represents nearly half of the skirmishes over the past day, as the military reported 218 clashes across the front.
Russia sent one of its top generals, General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, to organize Russia’s defense in Kursk Oblast against a renewed Ukrainian attack, The Telegraph reported on Jan. 5.
Key developments on Jan. 6: * Ukraine strikes 3 Russian air defense systems in single day, Navy claims * 3,800 North Korean troops killed or injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Ukraine's position in Kursk Oblast important for possible negotiations, Blinken says * Zelensky offered to buy weapons from incoming Trump
"Their (Ukraine's) position in Kursk is an important one because certainly it's something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year," Blinken told reporters in Seoul.
A total of 3,800 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman on Jan. 5.
Key developments on Jan. 4 - 5: * Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast, mixed reports surface on outcome * Russia launches over 300 drones, 20 missiles at Ukraine in first 3 days of new year, Zelensky says * Russian soldiers near Toretsk disguise as civilians to bypass Ukrainian positions, military
Ukrainian troops attacked Russian forces in several directions in Kursk Oblast, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation center, claimed on Jan. 5. Reports by Russian pro-war Telegram channels have echoed the statement, saying that a new Kyiv offensive is underway.
"In battles yesterday and today near a single village, Makhnovka, in Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Jan. 4.
"I never thought it would have such a big impact on them because they were so influenced by the idea of 'invincible Russia,'" President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview on Ukrainian television released on Jan. 2.
Key developments on Jan. 2: * Ukraine strikes Russian command post in Kursk Oblast, General Staff claims * Ukraine downed 2 Russian helicopters in sea drone attack, HUR says * Kyiv to conduct review of Ground Forces command, defense minister announces * Russian attacks against Ukraine injure at least 6, kill 4 over past
The strike targeted the 810th Russian Brigade, resulting in significant losses, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation center.
Key developments on Jan. 1: * Russian drone attack kills 2, injures 6, damages central bank building in Kyiv * Russia has lost over 38,000 troops in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Ukraine has brought back 1,358 people from Russian captivity in 2024 * Zelensky says Trump 'willing, capable of achieving peace
The Russian army has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 1.
Ukraine's Air Force on Dec. 29 denied claims spread by Russian media about a Ukrainian pilot surrendering to Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.
"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said on Dec. 27.
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged China to use its influence over North Korea to prevent the deployment of North Korean soldiers to the frontline, during his evening address on Dec. 27.
U.S. officials told Bloomberg on Dec. 27 that they believe Ukraine may only have a few months left in its incursion into Kursk Oblast until Ukraine's military is forced to retreat from the region or risk being encircled by Russian forces.
The year 2024 was brutal for Ukraine. Last winter saw the fall of Avdiivka when, after several months of brutal fighting, the Russian army captured the city leveled to the ground. Ukraine struggled to hold the front line with limited resources as political infighting in the U.S. Congress had
The confirmation followed a report from Ukraine's military-focused news outlet Militarnyi on Dec. 26, which first revealed the capture without specifying the date of the incident.
Key developments on Dec. 26: * Ukraine hits ballistic missile propellant plant in Rostov Oblast, Stratcom reports * North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast endure heavy losses, logistical struggles, Ukrainian military intelligence says * 18 Russian soldiers allegedly killed in Ukraine's Dec. 25 attack in Kursk Oblast, military says * 'Increase in enemy activity'
Ukrainian troops reportedly hit the command post of Russia's 810th Separate Marine Brigade in the town of Lgov in Kursk Oblast overnight on Dec. 25.
North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast continue to suffer significant losses, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Dec. 26.
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