The Kremlin declared on Saturday that it has successfully expelled Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region of Russia, marking a significant development after months of intense conflict. This announcement also included an unprecedented acknowledgment of North Korean troops aiding Russian forces in the area.
Details of the ‘liberation’ and foreign military support
Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, conveyed the news of the complete “liberation” of the Kursk Oblast to President Vladimir Putin, as reported by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov via Russian state media outlet TASS.
However, the Ukrainian government has contested these claims, asserting that although their troops are in a “difficult” situation, they have effectively thwarted encirclement and repelled several Russian ground offensives.
Additionally, the Kremlin expressed its appreciation for the North Korean military presence in the region. Gerasimov commended their “fortitude and heroism,” marking a significant acknowledgment of this foreign assistance. Estimates suggest that the number of North Korean troops could reach as high as 11,000, according to both Ukrainian and South Korean sources.
Strategic implications of the ongoing conflict
Gerasimov highlighted the importance of North Korean forces in the engagement, stating, “I want specially to note the participation of servicemen of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in liberating border areas of the Kursk Region who in accordance with the Treaty on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries rendered considerable assistance in crushing the Ukrainian army’s combat group that had launched an incursion,” as reported by TASS.
The conflict in Kursk escalated when Ukrainian forces initiated their offensive in August 2024, aiming to divert Russian military resources from other critical areas, specifically the ongoing battles in the Sumy Oblast and the heavily contested Donbas region, which has been significantly affected since Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.