North Korea has decided to send at least 6,000 more of its military personnel to Russia, with the stated purpose of helping restore infrastructure in Kursk Oblast, according to Russian officials. Earlier reports indicated that more than half of an initial 11,000-strong North Korean contingent had been lost during combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the same area.

Deployment plans confirmed by Shoigu

Sergey Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, announced the move following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Interfax Russia reports that Shoigu specified the alleged composition of the incoming forces:

“Chairman of State Affairs of the D​PRK Kim Jong Un has decided to send one thousand sappers to Russia for demining operations, as well as five thousand military builders for restoring damaged infrastructure.”

Shoigu stated that the deployment followed negotiations aimed at deepening cooperation between the two countries and enhancing North Korea’s support in rebuilding Kursk Oblast.

Shoigu also revealed plans to honor Korean People’s Army (KPA) soldiers who, according to Russian authorities, participated in military actions to “liberate Russian territory.”

“Our leaders decided to immortalize the heroism of Korean People’s Army soldiers who took part in combat operations,” he said.

As part of this initiative, new memorials will be constructed in both Russia and North Korea.

Russia just gave North Korea the blueprint for Iran’s long-range killer drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says

More than half of Pyongyang forces in Kursk lost earlier

The British Defense Ministry stated earlier that over 6,000 troops from the Korean People’s Army were lost during offensive operations against Ukrainian forces in the area. The total KPA presence initially amounted to approximately 11,000 troops, making the losses exceed 50%.

Last June, Russia and North Korea signed a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Pyongyang.

Related:

• UK intel: North Korea sent 11,000 troops to help Russia in Kursk—over half never came back
• Half of North Korea’s first missile shipment to Russia exploded in mid-air — now they strike Ukrainian targets with deadly precision
• Russia just gave North Korea the blueprint for Iran’s long-range killer drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says
• Russia receives 140 mm and 60 mm mortars from North Korea
• Kim Jong Un promises full support for Russia’s Ukraine war, says North Korea
• North Korea’s troops, shells, missiles aided Russia in war against Ukraine, breaching UN sanctions, report confirms
• North Korea supplied Russia with 9 mn rounds of ammunition and 100 ballistic missiles since 2023

North Korea has suffered more than 6,000 casualties during offensive operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to a June 15 report from the United Kingdom’s defense intelligence.

According to the report, North Korea's losses account for more than half of the approximately 11,000 troops initially deployed to Kursk in fall 2024.

U.K. intelligence attributed the high casualty rate to large, highly attritional dismounted assaults.

Open source intelligence reports have also suggested that small numbers of additional North Korea troops have been deployed to make up for the losses.

Earlier this year, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea transferred approximately 3,000 additional soldiers to Russia in January and February.

North Korea has emerged as a key military ally of Russia through its invasion of Ukraine, supplying Moscow with artillery shells, missiles, and even soldiers in exchange for oil products and advanced military technology, such as ballistic missile upgrades.

In April 2025, Russia confirmed for the first time that North Korean forces were fighting alongside Russian troops in Kursk, although North Korean troops have been reportedly involved since fall 2024.

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign forces since World War II. The operation aimed to disrupt a planned Russian offensive on the neighboring Sumy Oblast and draw Russian forces away from the embattled Donbas region.

Russia launched a push to recapture the region in early March 2025, with Ukraine being forced to pull back from much of the initially taken territory.

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian MiG-29 strikes Russian drone hub, ammo depot in Zaporizhzhia direction, releases video

Key developments on June 13: * Ukrainian MiG-29 strikes Russian drone hub, ammo depot in Zaporizhzhia direction, releases video * Ukrainian military denies NYT claims about Russian presence in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast * Russia preparing strategic reserves for conflicts beyond Ukraine, Ukraine warns * Ukraine repatriates bodies of 1,200 citizens, soldiers under Istanbul deal

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Ukrainian Air Force jets destroyed a building occupied by Russian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast with four precision bombs, according to footage analyzed by open-source intelligence and reports from WarArchive.

The Telegram channel WarArchive reported that Ukrainian aviation used four high-precision bombs to strike a structure in the village of Kulbaky, Kursk Oblast. The facility was reportedly being used to house Russian soldiers as well as electronic warfare (EW), radio-electronic reconnaissance (RER), and other military equipment, Militarnyi wrote.

A video shows all four bombs striking the upper part of the building in quick succession, causing a massive explosion and total destruction of the structure. Following the direct hits, a secondary explosion occurred due to the blast wave reaching a nearby ammunition depot. The resulting detonation amplified the scale of destruction.

Open-source investigator PJ “giK” verified the location via social media analysis.

Possible use of GBU-39 precision munitions

Militarnyi suggests that the bombs used in the strike were likely American-made GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs). These bombs weigh 130 kilograms and feature deployable wings, allowing them to hit targets up to 110 kilometers away when dropped from high altitudes. With tungsten penetrators, they are capable of punching through concrete structures during steep dives.

Additional precision strikes with Hammer bombs

The Ukrainian Air Force also recently employed French AASM Hammer bombs in separate operations. Recently, the Ukrainian Air force’s MiG-29 fighter jet used these bombs in a precise strike on enemy infantry and an ammunition storage site on the southern front, causing further losses to Russian forces.

A Russian soldier was seen firing a grenade launcher at a residential building in Sudzha, a border town in Russia's Kursk Oblast retaken from Ukrainian forces earlier this year, in a video published by independent Russian news outlet Astra on June 9.

In the footage, the soldier is seen loading a grenade launcher while repeatedly shouting "Akhmat! Chechnya!" — a reference to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov's forces — before firing in the direction of a residential area.

The Orthodox Holy Trinity Church stands behind the impact site, Astra noted.

It is unclear when the video was filmed. Russian authorities later confirmed the man in the video was a junior sergeant from the 158th military commandant's office.

Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram on June 9 that the shot narrowly missed the church and struck a residential building. He added that the soldier died in a traffic accident while fleeing from law enforcement in early June.

"He will answer for his actions in another court: in early June, the junior sergeant died in a traffic accident," the governor wrote. "This is a lesson for everyone, regardless of religion."

Russian troops retook Sudzha in March, months after Ukrainian forces captured the town during the August 2024 cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast.

The incursion prompted a months-long Russian counteroffensive, backed by North Korean forces, which forced Ukrainian troops to withdraw from much of the previously seized territory.

Located just 10 kilometers (around 6 miles) from Ukraine's northeastern border, Sudzha had a pre-war population of around 6,000.

Exiled Russian scholar on why Dugin is no philosopher, and Russia no defender of ‘traditional values’

In recent years, the Kremlin has sought to cast Russia as a bastion of so-called traditional values, positioning itself in stark contrast to what it describes as the morally decaying West. Yet beneath this veneer, a more complex reality persists. As exiled Russian philosopher Alexey Zhavoronkov told the Kyiv Independent,

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Ukraine shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet in Russia's Kursk Oblast on the morning of June 7, the Air Force reported.

Although no details of the operation were disclosed, the downing brings the total number of Russian aircraft destroyed since the start of the full-scale invasion to 414, according to Ukraine's General Staff.

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign forces since World War II.  

Reinforced by North Korean troops, Russia launched a push to recapture the region in early March, with Ukraine being forced to pull back from much of the initially taken territory, including the town of Sudzha.

The downing of the Su-35 fighter jet also adds to the losses Ukraine has inflicted on the Russian Air Force over the past week.

On June 1, Ukraine launched its Operation Spiderweb, conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reportedly hitting 41 Russian bomber planes and other aircraft. According to Kyiv, Ukraine inflicted $7 billion in damage and disabled over a third of Russia's strategic bomber fleet.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently confirm the number of planes allegedly damaged and destroyed by the SBU. At least 21 planes were damaged or destroyed, according to open-source intelligence analysts.

The SBU said 117 drones, launched from concealed trucks positioned across Russian territory, simultaneously struck airfields in at least four regions, including sites thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

The targeted air bases reportedly housed Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, essential carriers of long-range cruise missiles used in Moscow's air strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine war latest: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb; Ukraine targets Russian air bases in ‘preemptive strike’

Key developments on June 6: * Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb * Ukraine strikes Russian air bases in ‘preemptive strike’ ahead of drone, missile attack, General Staff says * Ukrainian drone attack destroys helicopter at Russian airfield in Bryansk, media says * Russia plans to occupy Ukraine east of

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared “unconditional support” for Russia’s war against Ukraine during a meeting with top Russian official Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, according to North Korean state media on 5 June.

AP reports that Kim met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on 4 June. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim told Shoigu that North Korea would “unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue.” The visit marks an intensification of cooperation between the two countries.

KCNA added that the two officials discussed how to solidify the strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia, reaching a consensus on the Ukraine issue and other unspecified international situations. No further details were provided by the North Korean outlet.

North Korea’s troops, shells, missiles aided Russia in war against Ukraine, breaching UN sanctions, report confirms

Troop deployment and military presence

In April 2025, North Korea and Russia officially confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for the first time. The confirmation stated that North Korean and Russian soldiers were fighting side by side against what they described as a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. 

Though neither Russia nor North Korea has released troop counts, intelligence from the US, South Korea, and Ukraine has previously stated that North Korea sent between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia last fall. South Korean authorities recently added that another 3,000 troops were dispatched earlier this year.

North Korea supplied Russia with 9 mn rounds of ammunition and 100 ballistic missiles since 2023

Russia’s state-run Tass news agency, citing the Russian Security Council’s press service, reported that Shoigu and Kim also discussed the reconstruction of Kursk Oblast and agreed on steps to honor the contributions of North Korean soldiers involved in the fighting there.

Despite Russia’s April 2025 claim of full control over Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Saturday that Ukrainian forces still hold ground there.

Russians are advancing — after a breakthrough in the region, Sumy may come under direct fire.
On the border of Sumy Oblast, Russian occupiers have intensified their offensive and advanced 6–7 kilometers deep into Ukrainian territory.

Russia does not intend to stop at creating a so-called “buffer zone,” adds Shevtsov. Its goal is the full occupation of Sumy Oblast, as well as Kharkiv Oblast and other regions in eastern Ukraine.

According to Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), about 50,000 Russian troops have been concentrated in Kursk Oblast near the Russian border, UNIAN reports. 

The offensive is accompanied by intense shelling from drones, artillery, and aircraft using glide bombs and guided missiles.

All of this aims to complicate the defense of Ukrainian positions and push even deeper.

“The situation is not easy — in fact, it’s difficult. The Russians are sending infantry groups toward Yunakivka and Khotin. If earlier we observed activity in the areas of Basivka and Zhuravka, now the zone has expanded,” Demchenko says.

So far, heavy armored vehicles have not been used. Instead, Russia is deploying infantry, including units on quad bikes and motorcycles, to quickly break into Ukrainian territory.

The invaders are trying to entrench themselves in forest belts and hideouts while awaiting reinforcements.

“We must pay tribute to our soldiers, who are bravely holding the defense and destroying dozens of invaders every day… But unfortunately, the enemy does not care about its losses — some die, others keep coming,” the military spokesperson emphasizes. 

According to Demchenko, the occupiers’ goal is to gradually expand the combat zone and move closer to strategically important logistical hubs to increase pressure on Ukraine’s defense forces.

At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured after two bridges collapsed in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts overnight on 1 June, striking passenger and freight train routes and raising questions over infrastructure failures or sabotage. Russian law enforcement initially attributed the incidents to Ukrainian sabotage, but later removed the claim.

Train hit by collapsing highway bridge in Bryansk

According to the governor of Russia’s Bryansk Oblast, Alexander Bogomaz, a highway bridge on the federal A240 route allegedly collapsed onto a moving passenger train near the settlement of Vygonichi. The train was operating on the Moscow–Klimovo line. Regional sources, including Telegram channels such as Astra and Baza, reported that a freight truck was crossing the bridge at the moment of the collapse.

Bogomaz confirmed the incident involved both vehicles and a passenger train. Moscow Railway stated that the train derailment resulted from the collapse of the bridge, which occurred due to “illegal interference in transport operations.” The Russian Investigative Committee later reported the bridge had been blown up at 22:50 local time.

Astra published photos and videos of the aftermath.

As of the morning of 1 June, Russian reports indicated at least seven alleged fatalities and 66 injured individuals in the Bryansk collapse, with 47 hospitalized.

Freight locomotive derailed in Kursk after second bridge collapse

In Kursk Oblast’s Zheleznogorsky district, another collapse occurred on a railway bridge during the movement of a freight train. Acting governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that part of the train allegedly fell onto the highway running below the bridge. A fire broke out on the locomotive, and one crew member was reportedly injured.

The Investigative Committee of Russia, launched investigations into both incidents on terrorism-related charges.

Astra shared visuals showing the destruction at the 48th kilometer of the Trosna–Kalinovka road, confirming the scale of the incident.

Unconfirmed third incident

Telegram channels SHOT and 112 reported another incident in Bryansk Oblast, claiming that railway tracks were blown up near the settlement of Unecha on 1 June as a track inspection train was passing. Governor Bogomaz later stated that as of 10:52, railway workers discovered track damage in the Unecha–Zhecha section during an infrastructure inspection, with no casualties reported.

Previous Russian infrastructure collapses noted by Ukrainian Stratcom

Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication listed prior incidents of Russian bridge failures, pointing to chronic infrastructure decay and mismanagement. These include:

• April 2024 – Vyazma, Smolensk Oblast: Paninsky overpass collapse killed one and injured five.
• October 2023 – Buryatia: A railway bridge over the Dzhida River collapsed due to rainfall and neglect.
• July 2022 – Zabaykalsky Krai: Bridge on the Chita–Khabarovsk highway fell due to erosion and neglect.
• November 2020 – Primorsky Krai: A bridge collapsed under a truck near Vladivostok.
• July 2018 – Nizhny Novgorod: A pedestrian bridge collapsed during a festival.
• May 2015 – Krasnoyarsk Krai: Logging truck caused a collapse near Kansk.

Stratcom concluded:

“Corruption and decay are Russia’s problems, not Ukraine.”

A group of Russian soldiers fighting in the Kursk direction surrendered to Ukrainian paratroopers because "abuse in units is worse than captivity," Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces said in a video posted on social media on May 31.

"In their units on the territory of the Russian Federation, they were subjected to inhumane treatment, psychological pressure and threats," the post reads.

Russia's abuse of its own soldiers has been well documented throughout the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

An investigation by the Insider last July reported that Russia uses a systematic program of "gulag-style" abuse directed at its soldiers in Ukraine in order to "maintain order" and punish perceived offenders.

According to the Insider, the patterns of abuse of Russian soldiers in Ukraine "borrow heavily from Soviet labor camp traditions."

Russian units have employed "punishment squads" that seek out soldiers who are abusing alcohol, refuse orders, or are simply disliked, and then subject them to a variety of abuse, including beatings and "confinement pits."

A report in Foreign Policy in 2023 detailed a decades-long system of "sadistic hazing" in the Russian army that included one soldier who had to have his legs and genitals amputated after he was forced to squat in the snow for several hours.

The video released by Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces shows at least eight Russian soldiers interviewed at an undisclosed location.

One describes being sent to the front less than a month ago and being "blown up immediately," leaving just two men alive in his unit. Another said his unit was left to dig trenches and fend for themselves when they were spotted by a Ukrainian drone and "after that everything fell apart."

"The prisoners were provided with the necessary medical and psychological assistance," the military said.

Intercepted calls released by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) suggest numerous abuses by Russian commanders against their own troops, including one incident where one lost his temper and ordered his soldiers to shoot at their own comrades in a neighbouring unit.

"F**k the 55th (an adjacent Russian unit), shoot them, that’s the battalion commander’s order, shoot them," a Russian commander can be heard saying in an audio published by HUR on April 5.

The unidentified Russian commander appears frustrated at the adjacent Russian unit for not properly following an order and revealing their positions to Ukrainian troops.

The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the audio published by HUR.

Russian military freight train blown up en route to Crimea, Ukraine’s HUR claims

“The Muscovites’ key logistical artery on the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Crimea has been destroyed,” HUR’s statement said.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Drones struck multiple locations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast on the border with Ukraine during the night of 31 May, with various media reports suggesting the attacks targeted positions housing Russian military personnel.

The strikes hit the city of Rylsk and the Lgov district, with acting Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein claiming the attacks hit residential areas.

However, the Russian media outlet Pepel reported that the drones specifically targeted locations where Russian soldiers were stationed, information that Ukrainian OSINT resources have corroborated.

According to Khinshtein, the attacks in Rylsk involved drones striking two five-story apartment buildings, causing fires that spread between units and damaged building facades.

In the village of Artakovo in Lgov district, the strikes hit a garage and two other structures, which subsequently caught fire. The attacks resulted in 14 injured people across both locations.

Russian authorities have attributed the drone strikes to Ukraine, though official representatives in Kyiv have not yet issued any statement regarding the incidents.

Claims of Russian President Vladimir Putin's helicopter being "at the epicenter" of a Ukrainian drone attack in Kursk Oblast were reportedly fabricated by the Kremlin, the Moscow Times reported on May 30, citing four Russian government sources.

A Russian military commander claimed on May 20 that Putin's helicopter was subject to a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Kursk Oblast, as Putin made his first known visit to the region since Moscow claimed its recapture.

"We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight," Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defense division, said, as cited by the Russian news agency RBC on May 25. "The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack."

Multiple sources in the Kremlin told the Moscow Times that Russia's Defense Ministry had disseminated the story to Russian-state media as a means to make Putin appear as though he "shares the danger" of the war, in an attempt to garner support for the Russian president by painting him as more closely involved in the fighting.

Despite the claims, Putin's visit to Kursk Oblast was conducted in secrecy, with Russian-state media reporting on the trip after it had concluded, according to the Moscow Times.

"President Putin himself is suffering, struggling, and even risking his own life. Your problems are trivial. You must grit your teeth and endure," a government official told the Moscow Times, in describing the Kremlin's motivation behind the staging.

The reportedly fabricated story comes as Kyiv has ramped up its attack on Moscow, launching hundreds of Ukrainian kamikaze drones towards the Russian capital. While none have appeared to have reached Moscow, the attacks have caused significant disruptions to commuter air traffic.

Ukrainian drones have forced at least 218 temporary airport closures across Russia since Jan. 1, independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on May 14, citing data from Russia's state aviation agency Rosaviatsia.

During his visit to Kursk, Putin met with Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein, heads of local municipalities, and members of volunteer organizations. He also visited the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, the Kremlin's press service said. The exact date of the visit was not revealed at the time of publication.

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign forces since World War II. The operation aimed to disrupt a planned Russian offensive on the neighboring Sumy Oblast and draw Russian forces away from the embattled Donetsk Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the Moscow Times' reporting or claims made about the alleged attack.

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine attacks elite Russian unit base nearly 7,000km away in Vladivostok, source claims

Key developments on May 28: * Ukraine attacks elite Russian unit base nearly 7,000km away in Vladivostok, source claims * Ukraine ready for 2nd round of Istanbul talks but seeks Russian draft memo in advance, Yermak says * Senate to ‘start moving’ Russia sanctions bill next week, Graham says * Russia may ‘consider’

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Russia has concentrated a sufficient amount of forces in Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an attack on Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on May 29.

The statement comes amid warnings of a new possible Russian offensive this summer as U.S.-mediated peace efforts have failed to produce a ceasefire deal.

Russia has become increasingly active in Sumy Oblast after mostly pushing out Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian authorities recently confirmed that Russian forces captured four Sumy Oblast villages close to the border: Novenke, Zhuravka, Veselivka, and Basivka.

Speaking on national television, Demchenko said Russia began amassing forces when it attempted to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched its operation in August 2024.

Russia continues to maintain a force in Kursk Oblast, and Ukraine periodically detects a "certain change in the number of both soldiers and equipment in this area," the spokesperson said.

Russia "has enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine," he continued.

The remarks came days after President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is accumulating 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast, seeking to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone in the area.

According to Kyiv, Russia planned to launch an offensive into Sumy Oblast already back in 2024, but the plan was disrupted by Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast. Moscow has repeatedly indicated plans to create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia in the area.

Trump holds off on sanctions to push Ukraine-Russia peace efforts

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 that he has not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believes a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine may be within reach.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova