**Ukraine Claims Russia Has Suffered Heavy Losses**
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on January 6 that Russian forces have lost thousands of soldiers in Ukraine’s Kursk region. He claimed that around 38,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since the fighting started five months ago.
Zelensky stated that nearly 15,000 of these losses are irreversible. However, he did not provide evidence to support his claim. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the information immediately.
**Battle Rages in Kursk Region**
The Kursk region is located on the border with Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. Russian forces have been attacking the area daily since they were pushed out of the oblast and back across the border in April 2022. Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale operation in early August, capturing parts of the territory.
However, the Russian military claims to have regained control over much of the land. On January 5, Ukraine reported starting a new offensive in the area but shared limited information about it.
**North Korean Troops Involved**
Reports from Ukrainian and Western sources suggest that around 11,000 North Korean troops are aiding Russian forces in the region. Russia has not confirmed or denied their involvement.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday that Ukrainian forces were stopped near Berdin, a settlement along a road leading northeast to the city of Kursk. President Zelensky highlighted the creation of a “buffer zone” in the Kursk region, where Russia had stationed substantial military reinforcements.
**Impact on Russian Forces**
Zelensky claimed that this development has hindered Moscow’s ability to deploy forces to critical battlefronts in eastern Ukraine. He stated that Russian forces cannot now direct all their strength to other areas such as Donetsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, or Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
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