Military and political analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko of the Information Resistance Group shared his insights on Telegram.
According to Kovalenko, North Korean units first entered combat in russia’s Kursk region between late October and early November 2024, primarily within the 810th Marine Brigade, though initially in small numbers. Their peak involvement came in December.
Read more: Ukrainian SOF Operators Eliminated 18 North Korean Soldiers In russia’s Kursk Region (Video)
As of November 1, 2024, Ukrainian forces controlled or contested 970 square kilometers of the Kursk region. That figure has since dropped to 630 square kilometers.
Most North Korean losses occurred in December and early January, with an average of 80-90 casualties per day—roughly a company lost daily. No other russian unit on this front has suffered comparable losses. The 12,000 North Korean troops sent to russia form an understrength army corps, yet within two months, they have lost 30% of their combat effectiveness.
"A second wave of North Korean infantry is inevitable and will arrive before the remaining 12,000 are wiped out. Meanwhile, the Northern Group of Forces has failed to retake the Kursk region before Donald Trump’s inauguration—an objective unlikely to be met anytime soon," Kovalenko concludes.
Read more: Ukrainian Armed Forces Launch Attacks on russian Positions in the Kursk Region
