Korean People’s Army (KPA) soldiers gather as they prepare to pay their respects before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as part of celebrations marking the birthday of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, known as the ‘Day of the Shining Star,’ on Mansu hill in Pyongyang, North Korea on Feb. 16, 2019. (Ed JONES / AFP via Getty Images)
THE KYIV INDEPENDENT | Published January 5, 2025
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported significant losses among Russian and North Korean forces during recent clashes in Russia’s southern Kursk region.
“In battles yesterday and today near a single village, Makhnovka, in Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops,” Zelensky said in his evening address on Jan. 4, citing information from Ukraine’s top commander.
He added that “this is significant.” While Zelensky did not share further details, a battalion typically consists of several hundred troops.
In late 2024, Zelensky also called on China to use its influence over North Korea to prevent the deployment of North Korean soldiers to the front line.
“The Korean people should not lose their people in battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, in particular, by Korea’s neighbors, in particular, China. If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand, appropriate influence on Pyongyang is necessary,” Zelensky said.
Russia has stationed approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region to assist in ousting Ukrainian forces. The first confirmed battles between Ukrainian and North Korean units occurred on Nov. 5.
Ukraine first began its surprise incursion into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6. Ukrainian forces have been fighting to hold onto territory in the region ever since in hopes it can be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.
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SOURCE: www.kyivindependent.com
RELATED: Russian commanders conceal true losses among North Korean troops in Kursk region – Ukrainian intelligence
UKRINFORM | Published January 5, 2025
Lower-ranking commanders in the Russian military are reportedly providing false accounts of casualties among North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia’s Kursk region.
That’s according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Ukrinform reports.
According to HUR, on December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025, Russian forces continued deploying units of the North Korean army in combat operations in the Kursk region. Intelligence reports indicate that North Korean troops have sustained substantial personnel losses.
Russian commanders are reinforcing frontline positions by transferring additional North Korean soldiers to replace the casualties. On December 31 and January 1, groups of North Korean troops were moved to positions near Ulanok, Fanaseyevka, and Cherkasskaya Konopelka in the Kursk region.
HUR has observed that lower-level Russian commanders, including department, platoon, and company leaders, are falsifying casualty reports submitted to their superiors.
“The fighting spirit of North Korean soldiers has fallen. They are continuously subjected to Russian military propaganda emphasizing the ‘critical importance’ of the DPRK army’s participation in the war against Ukraine,” HUR said.
On New Year’s Eve, cases of alcohol abuse were recorded among North Korean soldiers, particularly those involved in hostilities.
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SOURCE: www.ukrinform.com
Russia is DONE! Tanks, Fighters, Troops Are Running Out – Russia’s DEATH TOLL Will Hit 1,000,000
Warning: This video contains animations, infographics and other visual elements to enhance the narrative.
The question of whether Russia will be plunged into a deeper and deeper crisis as it approaches 2025 is one of the most burning issues of the war in Ukraine. The Latvian Foreign Minister’s prediction that “Russia will reach 1 million dead and wounded soldiers by 2025” was a striking spark that ignited this debate. “Will 2025 really see Russia’s military and economic collapse?” asks everyone who has ever wondered what the Russian and Ukrainian fronts have been through, what Russia’s industrial capacity, logistics and military morale are like, and where this war might lead. But it is important to remember this: The “total collapse” of a nuclear-armed state in the world is a nightmare that could threaten not only Russia but the entire world order. It is this balance that shapes war and the direction of international politics.
So where do these claims of “collapse” come from, what factors are pushing Moscow in a war that is expected to last until 2025, and how is Ukraine trying to read this picture? Some argue that Russia’s military is heading towards exhaustion, that the Kremlin’s ability to finance the war is eroding due to massive economic sanctions, and that the public’s patience is wearing thin. Another view is that “Russia is such a big country, with all its Soviet-era stockpiles, nuclear deterrent and vast natural resources, that it will not collapse easily.” Let’s take a closer look at this long and deep issue. Of course, it is clear that Ukraine continues to bleed Russia by attacking key points like Kursk and Crimea, and that the Russian military is developing a “rear-guard strategy” to compensate for every loss. But up to what point?
At the heart of the war is Russia’s imperial ambition to subjugate Ukraine. If this ambition is to continue as we approach 2025, it is inevitable that Ukraine will resist. Even if there is a ceasefire, the danger of Russia “rearming and attacking again” will remain. That is why Ukraine is looking for strong security guarantees from the US and Europe. NATO membership is a possibility, but a “red line” for Russia. This is a signal that peace will not come easily. Another dimension of the “war of attrition” could be an uprising of Russian society asking “Why are we paying these prices?”. Or the Putin regime could turn into an even more repressive model and suppress the population, keeping the hope of victory alive until 2025. In short, there is a picture full of great uncertainties.
This picture of uncertainties leads us to a few questions about the great war that will continue in 2025. Will Russia really reach the appalling figure of 1 million dead and wounded by 2025? If so, will this trigger a complete collapse of the army, or will Russia resort to extreme measures such as “total mobilization”?
Does Ukraine want to push Russia into a rapid collapse by attacking key centers such as Kursk and Crimea, or is its goal only to gain an advantage at the table? How will the West find a balance to its desire to “keep Russia intact but not win the war”?
What role will the nuclear weapons issue play? Will the Kremlin move towards a “let the world go to hell if we lose” mentality, or is this just blackmail? Could a possible Trump administration or a similar change impose a scenario of “peace with small territorial concessions” between Ukraine and Russia? Would Ukraine agree to this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jiwM40pRK0
Massive Retaliation: Ukraine Celebrates Great Victory in Crimea! Most Powerful Strike on Russia!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_dzJ_7YVtQ