Kursk: Ukraine's top military commander has asserted that Ukrainian forces continue to hold a small portion of territory inside Russia, a year after their unexpected incursion into the Kursk region.

According to BBC, Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in August 2024, seizing over 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian land. Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, stated that 10,000 Russian troops are actively working to push back Ukrainian forces. Syrsky emphasized that their military operations focus solely on military targets, not civilians.

The operation, which began on August 6, 2024, saw Ukraine capture numerous villages in the Kursk region. President Volodymyr Zelensky later explained that the operation had successfully created a buffer zone, preventing Russian forces from being deployed to critical areas along the eastern Ukrainian front.

Ukraine's progress, however, encountered challenges as Russia rapidly sent reinforcements to Kursk, including thousands of troops from North Korea. Recent months have seen Ukrainian forces retreating under the pressure of approximately 70,000 Russian troops and intense drone attacks, as Russia aims to reclaim the territory.

North Korea's involvement has been significant, with an estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers arriving last autumn to bolster Russian defenses. In January, Western officials reported to the BBC that over 1,000 North Korean troops had been killed in a span of three months. This month, Pyongyang pledged additional support by sending thousands of mine-clearing troops and builders to aid in restoring infrastructure in the Kursk region.