Nearly 60,000 Russian army personnel are currently stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Suspilne reported on Nov. 22, citing its undisclosed source in the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
Earlier reports from Ukrainian authorities said Russia had amassed 50,000 troops in Kursk Oblast, including North Korean soldiers, to attempt to push the Ukrainian military out of its territory.
Ukrainian forces will remain in Kursk Oblast as long as "militarily possible," the source said.
According to the source, the General Staff believes that the Russian troops are planning to reach the border with Sumy Oblast to create a "buffer zone" there, as Ukraine looked to do with its incursion into Kursk Oblast.
Kyiv launched the surprise offensive into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6. Russian forces have managed to reclaim around half of the territory initially captured by Ukrainian troops.
Russia has also deployed thousands of North Korean troops in the embattled region, with some reportedly already clashing with Ukraine in small-scale battles. Around 11,000 North Korean soldiers were stationed in Kursk Oblast as of Nov. 4.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Russian forces have suffered 7,905 soldiers killed, 12,220 injured, and 717 captured during the three months of the Kursk offensive.
Kateryna Hodunova
