North Korean troops, intensified assaults, and loss of territory. What’s happening in the Kursk region?

“Putin's Deadlines Are Burning”

“The assaults were already constant, daily. But it became particularly intense about two weeks ago,” recounts Lieutenant Stanislav Krasnov, commander of a platoon in the BPAK of the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade.

In the 80th ODShBr, they also note that Russians are attempting to storm Ukrainian positions almost every day to regain their foothold. Petr Haidashchuk, senior officer of the brigade's communications department, states: “We have entered their territory, and the Russian troops' task is to push us out of there.”

The main objective for the Ukrainian brigades stationed in the Kursk region is to remain on the defensive and hold onto the territories that Ukrainian forces have managed to occupy since the start of the Kursk operation. From time to time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine resort to certain counterattacks.

Since Ukrainian troops unexpectedly entered the Kursk region on August 6, 2024, Russia has regularly altered its tactics to dislodge Ukrainian units from its territories.

The first decision was to transfer so-called elite brigades there. As noted by Petr Haidashchuk, the Russian military command redeployed airborne troops, marines, special forces, and other guard motorized rifle brigades and regiments to this direction.

“They were redeployed here just as before to the most critical areas of the front. We understand that the Kursk region is currently a critical front for Russia, from which they want to push us out. Therefore, the intensity of the fighting is quite high.”Petr Haidashchuk, senior officer of the communications department of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade

The intensity of the fighting decreases only in extremely poor weather conditions, notes Stanislav Krasnov from the 95th ODShBr. This is because, in such conditions, the Russians cannot control their actions with aerial reconnaissance.

“They are constantly storming: mostly during the day, but there are also nighttime attempts to assault with equipment. They continuously apply different tactics and try to push into our direction,” adds Krasnov.

Currently, Russia has a significant advantage in personnel, artillery, and equipment in the Kursk region, wrote the Economist on December 16. Due to this, Ukraine has reportedly lost “about half” of the territories it previously controlled there. This information about the losses was confirmed by two soldiers involved in the operation, according to hromadske.

Among the reasons for the escalation of Russian attacks in the Kursk region, military expert Roman Svitan highlights the “deadlines” set by Vladimir Putin for his army. As reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin demands to push the Defense Forces out of the Kursk region by January 20, 2025 — that is, by the inauguration of Donald Trump. According to him, it is “very important for the Russian dictator to demonstrate that he controls a situation he does not control.”

A Crowd Across the Field

“We started to observe how the enemy significantly changed their tactics,” said Lieutenant Stanislav Krasnov from the Polessk Brigade. While earlier the occupiers moved in small groups of 5-10 people, now “a crowd of 20-30 people can be seen crossing the field.” This is not a very wise move for the troops, as one fighter noted, “if one cluster munition falls there, it kills everyone.”

As Ukrainian military personnel later realized, this is not a change in tactics from Russia, but the appearance of North Korean forces on the battlefield, who are not yet adapted to the realities of modern warfare. Although, for instance, in a notebook found on a killed North Korean, there were instructions on how to hunt Ukrainian drones.

“North Korean troops did not come here to defend the Kursk region. For them, it is simply a training ground for personal exercises. This is a forward-looking perspective for both regimes, Putin's and Kim Jong-un's, to have armies with real combat experience in modern conditions.”Roman Svitan, military expert

Soldiers of the 80th ODShBr captured Russians who were in the same camps or deployment areas as the North Korean soldiers. They reported that the task of the North Koreans was to conduct assault operations. If the assault is successful, the Russians are expected to secure positions after the Koreans.

The prisoners noted that their allies receive better food and equipment. Captured Russians rate the training of the North Korean military significantly higher than their own. According to them, more time is allocated for fire tactical training and tactical medicine for the Koreans. Additionally, they are supplied with more modern Russian weaponry.

“These prisoners complained that they do not understand such treatment. They signed a contract with their country’s Ministry of Defense, went to the Kursk region because they consider it their land. But here they face reality: it turns out there are soldiers from North Korea, who are given privileges and are valued more highly, at first glance,” said Petr Haidashchuk.

Recently, Zelensky stated that several severely wounded Koreans were indeed captured, but none survived.

“Everything is done so that it is impossible for us to capture Koreans: their own people finish them off, there are such facts. And in assaults, the Russians send them in such a way that they have as little protection as possible,” said the Ukrainian president.

As discovered by Ukrainian intelligence, Russians were ordered to kill wounded North Korean allies who could not be evacuated, just so they would not fall into Ukrainian captivity. The soldiers from the DPRK are separately monitored and guarded, particularly in hospitals and deployment points.

Escalation of Assaults

Reports from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine indicate an increase in assaults on Ukrainian defenders' positions in the Kursk region. On December 29, the Defense Forces repelled 38 attacks there — slightly fewer than in the Pokrovsk direction, where 40 clashes were recorded. On some days, such as December 16, 21, and 23, the number of attacks in the Kursk region even exceeded those in other areas.

We must understand that we are still fighting against a fairly powerful army. The enemy should not be underestimated or overestimated. We must understand that a serious enemy stands against us, and we are operating on their territory. And, despite everything, we are acting quite effectively and successfully.Petr Haidashchuk, senior officer of the communications department of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade

In the sections of the front held by the 80th ODShBr in the Kursk region, intense fighting is taking place, but the military continues to hold the occupied positions, Haidashchuk noted.

The 95th ODShBr also emphasizes that the situation is under control. The platoon commander of BPAK, Stanislav Krasnov, mentions that he has repeatedly seen attempts by Russians to conduct serious assaults. In one of these cases, out of 12 units of equipment supported by infantry moving toward one of the villages, only two managed to escape.

“If they are throwing such enormous forces at breaking through the defense — and they achieve nothing (primarily thanks to the resilience and courage of the infantry on the front line and the professional actions of the artillery and UAVs), then I believe that [the situation in the Kursk region] is under full control. I do not think they will be able to make a serious breakthrough, no matter how hard they try,” concluded Krasnov.

A Way to Hold Pokrovsk?

In the context of the Kursk operation, as well as in many others, there is no unified vision among Ukrainians. Recently, sociologists from the “Democratic Initiatives” Foundation and the “Razumkov Center” conducted a survey regarding the potential impact of the Kursk operation on Ukraine's position during possible peace negotiations.

Less than half of the respondents — 41% — believe that the offensive operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region has strengthened Ukraine's chances of achieving its goals during negotiations. The proportion of Ukrainians without a clear assessment is also significant — 35%. At the same time, 24% of surveyed citizens are convinced that the offensive operation weakened Ukraine's negotiating positions.

The very fact that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are present in the Kursk region is a very unpleasant situation for the Russians in terms of justifying