Russian and North Korean forces have achieved notable battlefield gains in recent days in Russia’s Kursk region, posing a threat to Ukraine’s supply lines and its control over territory that it had hoped to use as leverage in future negotiations.
This assessment comes from Ukrainian soldiers, Russian military bloggers, and military analysts.
A fresh influx of North Korean soldiers, working in coordination with highly trained Russian drone units and advancing under the cover of intense artillery fire and aerial bombardment, has succeeded in overwhelming key Ukrainian positions, Ukrainian soldiers reported.
“It’s true; we can’t stop them,” said Oleksii, the commander of a Ukrainian communications unit stationed in the area, when reached by phone.
“They just sweep us away, advancing in groups of 50 North Koreans while we have only six men on our positions.”
“Decisions are being made here, but I don’t know how effective they will be,” he added.
If Ukrainian forces are cut off or forced to retreat, it would represent a major setback for Kyiv. The offensive into Kursk was a significant operation that both lifted morale and embarrassed Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Holding territory inside Russia has also provided Ukraine with a potential bargaining chip in any future peace negotiations. A withdrawal could weaken Ukraine’s negotiating position, especially as President Trump pushes for settlement talks.
Ukrainian forces initially crossed into Russia last summer in an unexpected assault, overwhelming unprepared Russian positions and securing a bridgehead of approximately 200 square miles around the Russian town of Sudzha, located about six miles from the border.
It marked the first time a foreign army had entered Russian territory since World War II.
Military analysts remain divided on whether launching an offensive into Russian territory was a sound strategic move or a miscalculation.
Russian and North Korean forces have since reclaimed about two-thirds of the land lost in the summer, but at a staggering cost, with an estimated 4,000 troops killed in combat, according to intelligence assessments from Ukraine, South Korea, and Western sources.
A Costly Offensive
Ukrainian officials have stated that their offensive served several purposes: disrupting a looming Russian attack on Ukraine’s Sumy region, demonstrating that Western fears of escalation were exaggerated, forcing Russia to divert resources from other battlefronts, and potentially strengthening Ukraine’s hand in future peace talks.
The recent setbacks in Kursk come as Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine have largely stalled Russian advances and stabilized their defensive lines for months.
Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin—who exercises strict control over information in Russia—has faced no apparent political fallout from the military embarrassment in Kursk, despite the Kremlin suffering thousands of troop losses in grueling battles to push the Ukrainians out.
As the fighting dragged on, Russia deployed an estimated 12,000 North Korean soldiers to the front lines. North Korea had already been supplying Russia with millions of much-needed artillery shells, as well as artillery pieces and ballistic missiles.
For months, Russian and North Korean troops have been engaged in some of the war’s most intense combat, with the fighting fluctuating in intensity but never fully subsiding, soldiers said.
Russian Advance in Kursk Region (Photo: EFE)
The North Koreans were forced to withdraw from the battlefield in January to regroup, but they quickly returned.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stated on Feb. 8 that “Russia has once again deployed North Korean soldiers alongside its troops.” Four Ukrainian soldiers also confirmed in interviews that North Koreans were leading the latest waves of attacks alongside elite Russian drone units.
Ukrainian soldiers said the North Koreans have adapted to the evolving battlefield, where drones play a pivotal role. While they still engage in the same brutal frontal assaults that have resulted in heavy casualties, they are now operating more effectively.
“The North Koreans’ application of tactics is constantly improving,” said Andrii, a drone commander stationed in Kursk. He noted that they are coordinating more efficiently with North Korean artillery units while receiving support from Russian drone operators.
Their collaboration has enabled Russian forces to break through Ukrainian lines in the western part of the Ukrainian-held territory near the border, south of Sudzha. This assessment comes from DeepState, a group of analysts mapping the battlefield using sources within the Ukrainian military, satellite imagery, and social media posts.
A Shifting Battlefield
Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the area reported that their defensive lines were breached south of the small village of Kurylivka, where enemy troops managed to cross a narrow river in January. Initially, they quietly gathered forces, but by early March, the sheer number of North Korean troops proved overwhelming, allowing them to overrun Ukrainian positions.
Ukrainian forces retreated in an organized manner to designated defensive lines, according to Ukrainian soldiers. For now, they have halted the enemy’s advance.
Beyond their advantage in manpower and firepower, Russian forces have blanketed the battlefield with fiber-optic drones. Unlike radio-controlled drones, these are immune to jamming because they are guided via ultrathin fiber-optic cables that unspool as they fly toward their targets.
Capt. Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a battalion commander in Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade, said Russian forces appear to have extended the range of these drones and brought some of their most skilled operators to the Kursk region.
Small Russian assault teams, consisting of just a few soldiers, are now advancing alongside the drones, further expanding their operational range.
“Once they storm in, at approximately 200 to 300 meters from the front line, they start using them from there,” Shyrshyn said.
This strategy has allowed Russian and North Korean forces to more effectively target Ukraine’s primary supply line—the only road connecting Ukraine to Sudzha.
That route has long been a focal point for Russian attacks. During a visit to the border this winter, wreckage from destroyed armored vehicles and tanks littered the area, evidence of past battles as Ukrainian forces struggled to maintain access to the road.
Now, Russian forces are capable of keeping that road under near-constant fire.
The Battle for Supply Lines
Captain Shyrshyn stated that his soldiers continue to hold their positions despite increasing pressure. However, other Ukrainian soldiers said the situation is growing more difficult by the day.
Andrii, the drone commander, explained, “The enemy has strongly focused on cutting our logistics, which affects our ability to hold the defense.”
“This was influenced by the number of their drones and the training of their crews,” he said. “It feels like they have gathered their best crews here, and, accordingly, their numbers are large.”
“We have losses,” he added, “but we are still carrying out the tasks assigned to us.”
