Ukraine's president has said North Korean forces have returned to the front line in Russia's western Kursk region, after reports they had recently been withdrawn due to heavy casualties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his Friday evening address: "New assaults took place in the areas of the Kursk operation—the Russian army with North Korean soldiers brought in again. A significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we're talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen."

When Ukrainian soldiers captured two North Korean prisoners of war last month, it provided the first undeniable proof of Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war against Ukraine. It also shed some light on the mindset and training of the conscripted North Korean soldiers sent to fight Russia’s war a continent away from their

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that North Korean troops were back on the front line in Russia's Kursk region, after reports Moscow had withdrawn them due to heavy losses.

This is almost certainly primarily due to heavy losses sustained during attacks against Ukrainian-held positions.” Reports differ on the scale of the losses but one put them as high as 4,000 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded.

The North Korean ballistic missiles, whose quality has often been questioned, are becoming increasingly precise. Attacks conducted using this weapon on Ukrainian positions are starting to yield significantly greater effects for the Russians than in 2024.