Nearly 8,000 North Korean soldiers still fighting in Kursk Oblast, Budanov says
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov denied reports that North Korean soldiers have not been seen on the front line for weeks.
North Korea
North Korean troops absent from front in Russia's Kursk Oblast since mid-January, Seoul says
"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 Russian, North Korean officers killed in Ukraine's strike on Kursk Oblast command post, Zelensky says
"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.
Zelensky warns of Russia’s growing alliance with Iran, North Korea
In an interview with the Associated Press on Feb. 2, Zelensky added that while these countries had previously cooperated on weapons and technology, they are now openly engaged in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Ukraine war latest: North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s special forces say
Key developments on Jan. 31: * North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say * Ukraine deploys long-range drone capable of 2,000 km strike, military says * Ukrainian drones strike "one of 10 largest oil refineries in Russia," military says * Russian missiles
North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say
"These are standard measures – rotation due to large casualties," a military intelligence source commented for the Kyiv Independent, confirming the reports.
Ukraine war latest: North Korean forces reportedly pull back from one front-line sector following heavy casualties
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
Trump needs to 'understand where the threat is,' UK lawmaker says
U.S. President Donald Trump needs to "understand where the threat is" and not "force Ukraine into a bad deal," U.K. lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith told the Kyiv Independent. In an interview in Kyiv alongside another U.K. lawmaker Layla Moran on Jan. 22, Duncan Smith urged Trump not
North Korean troops seem to temporarily withdraw from one section of front in Kursk Oblast, military says
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.
Trump plans to reach out to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un, who Trump lauded as a "smart guy," has become Russian President Vladimir Putin’s key ally in a war against Ukraine, providing ballistic missiles, artillery, and 12,000 troops.
Seoul suspects North Korea plans to send more troops to Russia-Ukraine war
North Korea is reportedly preparing to send more troops to Russia to fuel the war in Ukraine, even after significant losses, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported.
North Korea to send artillery units, 150 more ballistic missiles to aid Russia’s war, Budanov says
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.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine's Special Forces say they killed 21 North Korean soldiers, show combat footage
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
Ukraine's Special Forces say they killed 21 North Korean soldiers, show combat footage
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.
'I didn't know who I'd be fighting' — North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine speaks in new footage
The POW said he arrived in Russia on a cargo ferry with over 100 other North Korean soldiers.
‘He wanted to live’ — How Ukraine captured a North Korean POW, told by the soldiers who took part
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. It was a month-long mission with one primary goal — capturing a North Korean soldier alive. One of the biggest obstacles facing the Ukrainian forces tasked
'They've overcome the shock' — North Korean soldiers adapting to war in Russia's Kursk Oblast
Since December, North Korean troops have been taking part in active combat on Russia's side in the country's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine has held territory since August. This unprecedented move, made against the backdrop of a deepening Moscow-Pyongyang alliance, provided some insight into how North Korean troops fare in modern
North Korean troops to join Russia’s Victory Day for the first time, media reports
North Korea will reportedly participate in Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, marking the first such instance in history, the Japanese broadcaster NHK World reported on Jan. 16, citing undisclosed sources.
Ukrainian soldiers on capturing North Korean POW
After numerous attempts, Ukrainian forces operating in Russia’s Kursk Oblast have finally captured two North Korean soldiers. Watch this video to find out why capturing North Korean soldiers is so challenging — and how Ukrainian forces ultimately succeeded.
Seoul to consult with Kyiv on transfer of captured North Korean soldiers, Yonhap reports
Seoul plans to hold consultations with Kyiv regarding the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers if they request defection, Yonhap reported on Jan. 14, citing South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong.
Ukraine war latest: Russia claims to occupy 2 more villages in Ukraine's east; Kyiv doesn't confirm
Key developments on Jan. 13: * Russia claims to occupy 2 more villages in Ukraine's east; Kyiv hasn't confirmed * Ukraine's special forces claim to repel North Korean assault in Russia's Kursk Oblast, killing 17 soldiers * Ukraine opens doors to foreign firms for military equipment modernization * Germany announces first deliveries of promised
Ukraine’s new Kursk push brings minor gains, raising concerns over limited resources
Since the new push in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in early January, Ukraine has made small gains and managed to capture the first North Korean prisoners of war in the area but experts have raised concerns about Kyiv’s use of limited resources while fierce battles rage elsewhere. The assessment
Everything we know about the North Korean POWs captured by Ukraine
Ukrainian forces fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast captured two North Korean soldiers, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Jan. 11, "irrefutable evidence" of Pyongyang's involvement in Moscow's full-scale invasion. "This task was not easy," Zelensky said, claiming that North Korean military personnel usually "finish off their wounded" in order to hide
What we know about North Korean POWs captured by Ukraine
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.
Ukraine's special forces claim to repel North Korean assault in Russia's Kursk Oblast, killing 17 soldiers
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.
'Lack of understanding of modern warfare' — Seoul reports 3,000 North Korean casualties in Russia's Kursk Oblast
The NIS attributed the high casualties to the soldiers' "lack of understanding of modern warfare," including their "useless" attempts to shoot down long-range drones.
Ukraine ready to return North Korean POWs to Kim Jong Un or find 'other ways,' Zelensky says
"Ukraine is ready to hand over his people to Kim Jong Un if he can organize their exchange for our soldiers who are held captive in Russia. For those North Korean soldiers who do not want to return, there may be some other ways."
Ukraine war latest: 'Irrefutable evidence of North Korea's involvement' — Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean POWs in Kursk Oblast
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
'Irrefutable evidence of North Korea's involvement' — Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean POWs in Kursk Oblast
The two wounded soldiers received necessary medical care and are in custody in Kyiv, according to Zelensky.
Russia's deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine signals Putin's desperation, Austin says
Russia has endured over 700,000 casualties since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022—more than in all of Moscow’s conflicts since World War II combined, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Jan. 9.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine's 47th Brigade releases video of 'massive' Russian attack repelled in Kursk Oblast
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,
4,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded fighting against Ukraine, Zelensky claims
"Putin is not just maintaining his investment in aggression. He's doubling down. He's even started hiring soldiers from North Korea to keep this war going," Zelensky said.
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