Quote: "Russia, the aggressor state, continues to deploy North Korean troops in combat operations against Ukraine. Russian Armed Forces UAV units are providing support and escort for North Korean assault groups in Kursk Oblast." Details: North Korean ...

Outnumbered Ukrainian troops are clinging to a section of Russian territory in hopes of using it as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations.

“They are performing quite well,” Ukrainian war correspondent Andrii Tsaplienko said of the 47th Mechanized Brigade’s dozen or so surviving Abrams. Ukrainian crews have praised the M-1’s thick protection and accurate fire controls.

North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were given fake military documents with Russian names and birthplaces, the Ukrainian military said, amid claims from Kyiv that Russia is trying to conceal the presence of foreign fighters on the battlefield.

Reclaiming Kursk is high on Moscow's agenda but comments by Valery Gerasimov failed to address the continuing presence of Ukrainian troops on Russian soil.

Governor of Kursk region claims 5 also injured, residential buildings damaged in attack on Lgov city - Anadolu Ajansı

Ukraine said on Monday that North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops suffered heavy losses during fighting at the weekend in the Russian region of Kursk.

A relative majority of Ukrainians (40%) believe that the offensive operation by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region has improved Kyiv’s chances of achieving its goals in peace negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said there have been more than 3,000 North Korean casualties in Russia's Kursk region.

The strike also reportedly killed several other soldiers, who were stationed at the 810th Marine Brigade command post in Kursk.

Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning.