The British daily Independent reported on the 13th (local time) that Russia has deployed North Korean troops to the Kursk region in northwestern Russia, which is occupied by Ukrainian forces, pushing most of the Ukrainian army out of the border. It is said that Russia accelerated its attacks to retake Kursk after U.S. President Donald Trump lent military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine on the 3rd.
The Independent described North Korean troops at the forefront of the Kursk retaking attack as "suicidal attacks" and noted, "This attack was part of an operation for Russia's counteroffensive," adding, "Russia was only able to drive Ukrainian forces out of small Russian villages like Sverdlitovo after hundreds of North Korean troops had died." A commander of a reconnaissance unit of the Ukrainian army told the Independent, "North Korean soldiers came in waves like a DDoS attack," saying, "We killed 8 out of 10 North Korean soldiers, but in some areas, our forces were few, and despite killing them as they charged in (with human wave tactics), we couldn't hold out." He further said, "When the United States arrived with the '30-day ceasefire plan' agreed upon with Ukraine on the 11th, the Ukrainian army received orders to withdraw to the border to halt Russia's advance."
Ukraine occupied Kursk in August of last year. Ukraine attempted to play the card of exchanging the occupied areas in Kursk for its own Russian-occupied territories during the ceasefire negotiation process. However, on the 13th, Russia announced it had retaken Sudzha, the largest city that Ukraine once occupied in the Kursk region, pressing that Ukraine's negotiating card had disappeared. The Ministry of National Defense of Russia released a video of a Russian soldier planting the Russian flag and military flag on a watchtower, stating that it had retaken Sudzha, the largest village that Ukrainian forces once occupied in Kursk. This village was a key point on the supply line for the Ukrainian army in Kursk.
The Independent stated, "For Ukraine, Kursk was a necessary part of future peace-related negotiations," adding, "It now seems appropriate for the Ukrainian army to withdraw as Ukraine is being driven out of the territory it occupied with many casualties."