Saturday’s Coverage: “Security Crisis” in Moldova After Cutoff of Russian Gas
Map: Institute for the Study of War
Ukraine has held part of Kursk since a cross-border incursion on August 6. Russia has struggled to regain the region, even with the deployment of up to 11,000 North Korean troops since the autumn.
In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said:
In battles yesterday and today near just one village, Makhnovka, in Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops. This is significant.
A Russian battalion can vary in size but is generally made up of several hundred troops.
Zelensky has previously said that around 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded. South Korean intelligence puts the number at 1,100.
We are already preparing for the “Ramstein” meeting – it is scheduled for the next week. Dozens of partner countries will participate, including those who can help boost our capabilities not only to defend against missiles but also against guided bombs and Russian aviation.
We… pic.twitter.com/PHa3QTZvMa
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 4, 2025
The President also spoke of “fierce battles” along the entire 1,000-km (620-mile) frontline in eastern and southern Ukraine, as Russia persists with a 15-month offensive despite heavy casualties.
Amid gradual Russian advances in the Donetsk region in the east, the most difficult situation is near the city of Pokrovsk, said Zelensky.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson said earlier that Pokrovsk remained the “hottest” frontline sector, with Russian troops launching fresh attacks to bypass the city from the south and cut off supply routes to Ukraine’s troops.