Zelenskyy shares rare wartime footage on anniversary of Kursk operation

"For over a year, Ukraine has been carrying out active operations on Russian territory – in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Once again, Ukrainians have managed to prove to the world that it is absolutely possible to put Russia in its place and to respond to its attacks with dignity," the Ukrainian President stated.

Zelenskyy emphasized that the Kursk operation turned out to be truly special because the world's intelligence services didn't foresee it, and the Russians didn't expect it.

"At a time when many around the world believed the situation had reached a stalemate, Ukrainians showed that they would continue defending their independence and forcing Russia to end the war," Zelenskyy added.

The Head of State thanked the soldiers, sergeants, officers, and everyone who was involved in carrying out missions in the Kursk region and prevented strikes on Sumy and the Kharkiv region.

In total, since the beginning of the Kursk operation, the Russian army has lost more than 77,000 troops killed and wounded, including 4,000 soldiers from North Korea. Ukrainian forces have also added more than a thousand people to the exchange pool.

Kursk operation

Ukraine's Defense Forces launched the Kursk operation in early August 2024. According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, at the height of the operation, Ukrainian forces controlled up to 1,300 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region.

In the fall, North Korea sent thousands of its soldiers to Russia, who later joined the fighting in the Kursk region. According to intelligence, North Korea has sent no fewer than 10,000 troops to Russia.

Global intelligence services also report that Pyongyang is planning to send a new group of soldiers to Russia. According to CNN, North Korea may send another 30,000 troops.