Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that more than 3,800 North Korean soldiers have already been killed in the Kursk region.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly sent New Year’s messages to North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia's war against Ukraine, urging them to "fight with courage" until the end, according to a news report.

A lone North Korean soldier who survived an intense battle against Ukrainian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region chose to blow himself up rather than allow himself to be captured, Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to return them to North Korea should its leader, Kim Jong Un, arrange for Ukrainian soldiers to be released.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday Kyiv is ready to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to their leader Kim Jong Un if he can facilitate their exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.

Russian forces continue to advance on Ukrainian positions in Kursk, according to the journalists' sources, citing Ukrainian military personnel fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. The "sudden absence" of North Korean troops on the battlefield may indicate that they are regrouping and assessing their future actions,