Russia has concentrated roughly 50,000 personnel including 8,000-10,000 North Korean forces in Kursk Oblast for a future counteroffensive to expel Ukrainian forces before late January 2025.

Russia concentrated roughly 50,000 personnel including 8,000-10,000 North Koreans in Kursk Oblast

Vladimir Putin has deployed 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops in an attempt to recapture Kursk from Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office as US president in January.

Ukraine's top military commander said 'tens of thousands of enemy soldiers' had arrived to expel Kyiv's forces from the Russian enclave.

Nato allies believe Putin is hoping to recapture territory lost to Ukraine before Mr Trump's inauguration on Jan 20.

Around 12,000 North Korean conscripts will also likely be involved in the fighting in the Kursk region, under a Russia-North Korea mutual military assistance pact agreed this year.

Russia has deployed 50,000 troops, including soldiers from North Korea, to the Kursk region

Over 10,000 soldiers from the DPRK were sent to eastern Russia, with most moving to the western Kursk Oblast where they began participating in combat operations together with Russian troops.