Kyiv [Ukraine], January 5 : Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that over the past two days, battles near the village of Makhnovka in Kursk region resulted in significant losses for the Russian army, which lost up to a battalion of infantry, including North Korean soldiers.
In a nightly address on Saturday, Zelenskyy stated that the Commander-in-Chief provided a detailed briefing on the ongoing actions at the front, highlighting the fierce battles along the entire front line, with the most intense fighting near Pokrovsk.
"Today, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi gave me a detailed briefing on our actions at the front. Fierce battles continue along the entire front line, with the hottest spot being near Pokrovsk. The occupier continues to waste an insane number of its people in assaults. And I thank each and every one of our units, all our brigades defending Ukrainian positions and eliminating the occupier," Zelenskyy said, according to the Ukraine's President Office.
He added, "The Commander-in-Chief also reported on the situation in the Kursk region. Specifically, in battles today and yesterday near just one village - Makhnovka in the Kursk region - the Russian army lost up to a battalion of infantry, including North Korean soldiers and Russian paratroopers. And that's tangible."
Speaking about the Russian strikes in the Sumy and Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian President said, "Rescue operations are underway in Svesa, a town in the Sumy region, following Russian bomb strikes. A residential building was hit. An entire section was destroyed - apartments from the first to the fifth floors. Neighboring buildings were also damaged. Yet another Russian attack on the lives of ordinary Ukrainian families. Seven people were injured, including a child, a two-year-old girl. She's currently in the hospital. All the victims are receiving the necessary assistance."
He added, "Today, there were also strikes with guided aerial bombs on other villages in our Sumy region - Myropillia and Vilna Sloboda - as well as on the Kharkiv region. Meanwhile, the rescue operation in Chernihiv has been completed following a missile strike there. More than forty buildings were destroyed or damaged. Sadly, there was one fatality in Chernihiv. My condolences."
US, Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence estimates indicate that the number of North Korean soldiers in Russia are between 11,000 to 12,000, some of whom have already engaged in combat operations alongside Russian forces to assist in recovering parts of Kursk that were taken during Ukrainian offensive in August.
Earlier on December 22, 2024, the Ukrainian military had said that North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were given fake military documents with Russian names and birthplaces, CNN reported.
The statement came amid claims from Ukraine that Russia is trying to not disclose the presence of foreign fighters in the conflict.
In a statement, Ukraine's special forces said that they had killed three North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region and seized their documents. The statement said that their military identification documents "lack all the stamps and photos, the patronymic names are given in the Russian manner, and the place of birth is signed as the Republic of Tuva," referring to a Russian region in southern Siberia bordering Mongolia, according to CNN report.
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