Ukrainian SOF thwart North Korean troop assault in intense 8-hour battle in Kursk region
In a grueling eight-hour confrontation, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) successfully repelled an assault by North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region. By the ninth hour of the battle, the Ukrainian defenders were down to just one-third of their ammunition. They used it, executing a tactical withdrawal to a safe location. During the fierce engagement, soldiers from the Ukrainian SOF managed to eliminate 21 North Korean soldiers and injure another 40. Footage of the clash was shared on Facebook.
Operators from the 8th Special Purpose Regiment of SOF named after Prince Iziaslav Mstislavich, alongside infantrymen, held off the North Korean forces' advance for eight hours. The Ukrainian defenders utilized small arms, grenade launchers, and snipers in the confrontation. By the ninth hour, as resources dwindled, the decision was made to execute an exfiltration maneuver—strategically retreating from the battlefield. The soldiers performed a coordinated withdrawal using two armored Humvee vehicles.
According to Ukraine's General Staff, in the past 24 hours, Russian forces conducted 23 airstrikes in the Kursk region, dropping a total of 31 precision-guided bombs (PDMs). Additionally, the adversary carried out 450 shelling attacks, including 16 from multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). Ukrainian troops repelled seven assaults.
On January 21 in Davos, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 4,000 North Korean troops, which Russia had enlisted in its war against Ukraine, have already been killed.