Outnumbered Ukrainian troops are clinging to a section of Russian territory in hopes of using it as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations.

Ukrainian special forces claimed on Monday to have inflicted more than 100 casualties among North Korean forces over three days of operations inside western Russia.

A relative majority of Ukrainians (40%) believe that the offensive operation by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region has improved Kyiv’s chances of achieving its goals in peace negotiations.

Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) have reported the elimination of three more North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast and seized their documents, which display signs of forgery. The documents are likely being used by Russia to conceal the presence of North Korean military personnel.

Reclaiming Kursk is high on Moscow's agenda but comments by Valery Gerasimov failed to address the continuing presence of Ukrainian troops on Russian soil.

Six people were killed and ten more were hospitalized in the Friday strike, Kursk acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein said.

Ukraine is prepared to assist Syria in stabilizing and rebuilding after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff on Monday, December 23.

Reports of North Korean involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine have intensified, with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) revealing significant casualties among deployed North Korean troops.

Operators of the 8th Separate Special Operations Regiment have killed 77 North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk Oblast over the past three days. Source: Special Operations Forces on Telegram Quote: "Kursk Oblast.

Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia's Kursk region and increased pressure in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine's top army commander said on Tuesday.

Ukraine's HUR military spy agency said on Monday that North Korean units fighting for Russia sustained losses of at least 30 soldiers killed or wounded around several villages on the front in Russia's Kursk region over the weekend.