At least four Russian officers were killed in Ukraine's attack on the town of Lgov in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Dec. 30, independent Russian media outlet Mediazona reported on Jan. 17, citing recently published obituaries.

Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 North Korean troops are deployed in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces occupy swathes of territory after staging a mass cross-border incursion in August.

North Korean troops participating in combat operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast are experiencing critically high casualty rates. If the situation remains unchanged, the entire contingent of 12,000 servicemen could be killed or wounded in action by mid-April 2025.

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.