Editor's note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. It was a month-long mission with one primary goal — capturing a North Korean soldier alive. One of the biggest obstacles facing the Ukrainian forces tasked
The 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade repelled an assault of Russian troops near the village of Zhuravka in Sumy Oblast on the border with Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to the brigade's Jan. 15 statement.
After numerous attempts, Ukrainian forces operating in Russia’s Kursk Oblast have finally captured two North Korean soldiers. Watch this video to find out why capturing North Korean soldiers is so challenging — and how Ukrainian forces ultimately succeeded.
Since the new push in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in early January, Ukraine has made small gains and managed to capture the first North Korean prisoners of war in the area but experts have raised concerns about Kyiv’s use of limited resources while fierce battles rage elsewhere. The assessment
The Russian army has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 1.
U.S. officials told Bloomberg on Dec. 27 that they believe Ukraine may only have a few months left in its incursion into Kursk Oblast until Ukraine's military is forced to retreat from the region or risk being encircled by Russian forces.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller warned that if North Korean troops crossed the border into Ukraine to fight for Russia, that would mark a serious "escalation" in the war.
North Korean troops have joined combat operations in the Kursk Oblast, marking the first confirmed engagement of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian military, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder said on Dec. 16.
Key developments on Dec. 14-15: * North Korean troops joining Russian assaults in Kursk, Zelensky says * Ukraine destroys Russian train with 40 fuel tanks in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, source claims * 292 front-line clashes recorded over the past day, General Staff reports * Two Russian oil tankers reportedly sink in Kerch Strait * North Korean
Key developments on Nov. 23-24: * Ukraine has lost over 40% of territory previously gained in Kursk incursion, Reuters reports * West should 'not set red lines' on providing military support for Ukraine, French foreign minister says * Russia attacked Ukraine with over 800 KAB bombs, 460 drones, 20 missiles this week, Zelensky
Ukraine has lost over 40 per cent of the territory it previously gained in Russia's Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on Nov. 23, citing a source in Ukraine's General Staff.
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.
A high-ranking North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian missile strike on Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Nov. 21, citing undisclosed sources.
The update applies primarily to those currently involved in combat in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
"There were attempts by Russia to push back our positions. But we are holding the defined lines," he said.
The shootings are said to have occurred on Oct. 10, Deepstate reported, citing sources in Ukraine's First Tank Brigade.
Key developments on Oct. 11: * Russia launched new push in Kursk Oblast, Kyiv claims attack 'thwarted' * Ukraine holds 40-50% of Toretsk, official says * Scholz unveils $1.5 billion allied aid package, delivers IRIS-T air defense system * Ukraine sets up supervisory boards for lethal and non-lethal procurement agencies Russian forces launched
Ever since Ukraine launched a lightning incursion deep into Russia territory in early August, Yan, a local resident in the city of Kursk, has been volunteering at a local drop-off point, helping to distribute clothes and bedding. "The number of people arriving at the humanitarian aid points every week is
"The local population doesn't understand why they are being hit (by Russian forces) because the (Ukrainian) military is not even nearby," Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Operational Tactical Group Siversk, said.
Key developments on Sept. 20: * Russian commanders warned of plans for Ukraine's Kursk incursion months in advance, seized documents show * Ghanaian men lured to fight for Russia appeal for help from inside occupied Ukraine * First group of Ukrainian pilots complete French jet training * Ukraine's strike on Russian arms depot destroyed
While the earlier warnings were largely vague, they grew increasingly more detailed — including specific threats that Ukraine would try to seize the town of Sudzha — a warning that was realized after Ukraine captured it in August.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sept. 17 that it had repelled Ukraine's new attempts to cross into Russia's Kursk Oblast west of the currently controlled territories.
While Russia's deadly war rages on Ukraine's soil, one unexpected aspect of the invasion is that natural gas continues to flow through Ukraine from Russia, with both sides profiting from the deal and – to an extent – financing each other's war machines. That is expected to change when their deal expires
Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Operational Tactical Group Siversk, said that the attacks would have continued even if Ukraine had not advanced in the Kursk sector of the front line.
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains the top stories of the week, from the controversy surrounding the "Russians at War" documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival to Russia’s counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast.
At an undisclosed detention facility, the Kyiv Independent interviewed one contract soldier captured in Kursk Oblast. To convey a better idea of what the thoughts and motivations of the average Russian soldier are in 2024, we are publishing this interview in full.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, revealed that Russia had planned an offensive from the Kursk region before Ukrainian forces launched operations there.
Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast failed to make Russia "nervous, fuss, and redeploy" troops away from the east of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sept. 5.
As the world watched Ukraine’s stunning cross-border offensive into Kursk Oblast, celebrating an unexpected blow to Moscow, Russian forces advanced with alarming speed in Ukraine’s east. One month later, new front lines in the Russian border region formed in the wake of the Kursk incursion have begun to
Drones reportedly targeted several Russian regions overnight on Sept. 1, including Moscow, Tver, Voronezh, Tula, Bryansk, Belgorod, Lipetsk, and Kursk, according to local officials.
According to polls cited by the ISW, "outrage or dissatisfaction" with Russian authorities has risen from 18% of respondents on July 12, to 28% on Aug. 25, the highest levels seen since the hugely unpopular mobilization in November of 2022.
Halfway down a narrow corridor painted all in gray, the guard wrestles with a bulky lock to gain entry to the prison cell. Inside are around twenty young men, sitting on a criss-crossing pattern of metal bunk beds. In the corner of the room, plastic cups and books are stacked
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