January, there have been no signs showing North Korean troops deployed to the Russian Kursk region engaging in battle," South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said, suggesting that heavy losses may have been one of the reasons for their withdrawal.

The reason for this is believed to be heavy casualties, “but the exact details are still being monitored," the NIS said. Earlier media reports stated that about a thousand North Korean soldiers may have been killed in Kursk Oblast by mid-January 2025.

According to the operators of strike unmanned aerial vehicle complexes (UAVs) from the 225th Brigade, Russian attempts to push back Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast continue to fail. The Russian military command persists in trying to dislodge Ukrainian troops.