Ukrainian soldiers on a Soviet-made T-72 tank Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that over the course of two days in the Kursk region, Russia suffered significant losses in combat, losing up to a battalion of North Korean military and Russian paratroopers. He said this in his evening address on 4 January.

“In the battles for just one location, the village of Makhnovka, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of infantry from among North Korean soldiers and its own paratroopers. These are significant losses for the enemy,” the President noted.

Celebrating the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers

Zelenskyy specifically noted the professionalism of the Ukrainian military, which is successfully destroying the occupiers.

“I would especially like to thank the Special Operations Forces and the 80th separate air assault brigade for their professional and effective actions,” the Head of State stressed.

The situation in the Kursk region

The President also said that he had heard a report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on the situation in the Kursk region. According to Zelenskyy, such enemy losses are an important signal and evidence of the effective work of Ukrainian forces.

This is another example of a significant blow to Russia’s military power, which, according to Zelenskyy, is increasingly engaging mercenaries and foreign units in combat, which only confirms its weakness.