In a recent interview, Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed his country’s desire to end the war with Russia in 2025, contingent upon securing international security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression. This objective aligns with the incoming U.S. administration’s aim to resolve the conflict within 100 days of inauguration, though details of any peace plan remain undisclosed. Potential strategies under consideration include delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership in exchange for continued Western support and the deployment of European peacekeepers. Zelensky affirmed Ukraine’s need for increased international cooperation to achieve this goal.
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Intense fighting near Makhnivka in the Kursk region resulted in the elimination of a Russian battalion comprised of Russian paratroopers and up to an entire battalion of North Korean soldiers, according to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Ukrainian forces, specifically the Special Operations Forces and the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade, are credited with inflicting these heavy casualties. These losses follow earlier reports of over 3,000 North Korean casualties in the region. Despite ongoing intense fighting across the front, Ukrainian forces are successfully repelling Russian assaults and maintaining their positions. This engagement highlights the significant human cost of the conflict and the continued North Korean support for Russia’s war effort.
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Since Ukraine’s August 6th incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, over 38,000 Russian troops and 1,000 pieces of equipment have been lost, along with over 700 captured soldiers. Ukraine initially seized approximately 1,300 square kilometers, though intense fighting has reduced this control. The conflict also involves approximately 12,000 North Korean troops, with over 3,000 reported killed or wounded, highlighting the challenges of unfamiliar terrain and modern warfare. Ukraine intends to leverage the occupied territory in future negotiations.
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Ukraine’s military intelligence reported heavy losses and logistical problems, including water shortages, for North Korean troops fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, following Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka. President Zelenskyy estimated 3,000 North Korean casualties, while Russia continues its missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including a Christmas morning barrage and attacks throughout the week. Amidst this ongoing conflict, Russia threatens further use of its Oreshnik hypersonic missiles, while Ukraine retaliated with drone strikes targeting Russian military production facilities.
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Ukraine’s newly developed Trembita missile, currently under development for 18 months, boasts a 200km range and speeds of up to 400 km/h, utilizing a modernized pulse jet engine. A longer-range variant capable of reaching Moscow is also in development. While serial production awaits field testing, significant challenges remain, including securing funding, scaling industrial production, and maintaining security amidst ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian defense facilities. International partnerships are crucial to overcome these obstacles and bolster Ukraine’s missile capabilities.
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Ukraine successfully repelled an initial North Korean and Russian assault near Malaya Loknya in the Kursk region, suffering losses but inflicting heavy casualties, estimated at 200, on the invading forces through counterattacks and drone strikes. The North Koreans, described as disciplined but used as “cannon fodder” by Russia, exhibited human wave tactics and suffered from communication issues with their Russian counterparts. Despite this initial success, Ukraine faces a persistent threat from approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers deployed in the region, highlighting an urgent need for increased military aid.
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On December 14th, Ukraine’s HUR reported a “friendly fire” incident in Kursk Oblast, where North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia killed eight Russian Chechen soldiers due to a language barrier. This incident, along with an estimated 200 total deaths among combined North Korean and Russian units, highlights communication challenges stemming from the deployment of North Korean troops. Prior warnings of over 10,000 North Korean troops massing in the region, and the implementation of Russian military protocols to manage this deployment, underscore the increasing involvement of North Korean forces in the conflict. The incident represents one of the first reported direct clashes between North Korean and Ukrainian forces.
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The reported assassination of Mikhail Shatsky, a Russian scientist instrumental in the development of cruise missiles, near Moscow has sparked a flurry of reactions, ranging from condemnation to celebration. Ukrainian intelligence services have openly claimed responsibility for the killing, asserting that Shatsky, a deputy director of a Moscow-based ballistics engineering unit, was a legitimate target due to his involvement in Russia’s military-industrial complex and the ongoing war in Ukraine. This claim hasn’t been officially acknowledged or denied by Russian authorities.
The details surrounding Shatsky’s death remain shrouded in some ambiguity. Photographs circulating on pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels depict a man matching Shatsky’s description lying dead in the snow; however, definitive confirmation of the identity has not been independently verified.… Continue reading
A Ukrainian drone strike successfully destroyed a North Korean Bulsae-4 anti-tank missile vehicle in Kharkiv Oblast. This marks the first confirmed strike on a North Korean vehicle deployed to support the Russian war effort in Ukraine. The Bulsae-4, carrying eight anti-tank missiles, was targeted by the Vitrolom drone group, part of the Ukrainian army’s 3rd Assault Brigade. This action highlights the growing importance of targeting North Korean reinforcements, crucial to sustaining Russia’s increasingly costly offensives in eastern Ukraine and Kursk Oblast.
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A recent Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, though achieving initial tactical success, has resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Despite the significant manpower committed to the operation, its strategic value remains debated, with some arguing it provides leverage for future negotiations. Ukrainian soldiers, exhausted from months of intense fighting, express uncertainty about the operation’s long-term goals and frustration with the West’s perceived inaction in upholding security guarantees. While recent Russian counter-offensives have been ineffective, Ukrainian forces have lost some of the territory gained earlier in the summer.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood