North Korea could suffer the complete loss of its 12,000-strong military contingent deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast by mid-2025 if its forces continue to sustain high casualty rates, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Jan.

The report highlights that North Korean soldiers have developed unique battlefield tactics, such as using a soldier as bait to shoot down drones or detonating grenades, holding it under the neck with one hand on the pin when the Ukrainian military approaches to avoid capture when severely wounded.

Ukraine's military said 21 troops were killed and 40 injured in the operation in the Russian region where it is staging an incursion.