A Ukrainian special forces commander says North Korean troops have moved back from the fighting for roughly a fortnight

On August 6, Kyiv began the military operation into Kursk, which appeared to take Russian President Vladimir Putin and even Ukraine's allies by surprise. Kyiv later announced it had seized 500 square miles at what was then the lightly-defended border of the Russian region.

Why peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are not as simple as Trump makes out - The US president says he will use financial leverage to force Russia to accept a deal to end the invasion of Ukraine

Recent reports from the “occupied” Kursk Oblast in Russia suggest that the Kremlin’s forces are being bogged down by defenses that Moscow originally erected against threats from the west. In addition to Russian “dragon’s teeth,” which limited the movement of armored vehicles and tanks, winter mud and craters further impacted a recent attack.

Ukraine still has a foothold in Russia’s Kursk region—a potential key bargaining chip in any deal to end the conflict—and even launched some smaller offensive operations earlier this month. Yet Russia has retaken half of the territory that Ukraine seized in its summer offensive.

Ukraine is holding parts of Kursk as Trump pushes for negotiations with Russia. That has the potential to work out well for Kyiv.

Russian forces have retaken 63.2% of the territory captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region of western Russia, the Russian defence ministry said on Friday.

What’s old is new again as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds toward its fourth year. During World War II, some armies—the British Army, in particular—bolted metal spans to the top of tank chassis and used the resulting “funnies” to rapidly erect bridges across vehicle-halting gaps on the battlefield.

Britain's defense ministry said about 1,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed and about 3,000 more had been wounded fighting against Ukraine.

Moscow responds to Trump ultimatum as 1,000 North Koreans killed in Kursk - Russia says it will see what Trump thinks a ‘deal’ to end Ukraine war means

North Korea's military failed in the Kursk region due to a lack of training to counter drones and artillery. They are now undergoing "error correction" with Russian commanders and their officers, according to Andriy Kovalenko,