KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — North Korean troops are struggling heavy losses within the combating in Russia’s Kursk area and dealing with logistical difficulties because of Ukrainian assaults, Ukraine’s navy intelligence mentioned Thursday.
The intelligence company, recognized underneath its acronym GUR, mentioned Ukrainian strikes close to Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean models. It mentioned North Korean troops additionally confronted provide points and even shortages of ingesting water.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded within the combating within the Kursk area. It marked the primary vital estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties a number of weeks after Kyiv introduced that North Korea had despatched 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to assist it within the nearly 3-year struggle.
The casualty disclosure got here because the Biden administration was urgent to ship as a lot navy assist as potential to Ukraine earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes over in January.
Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into the Kursk area in August, dealing a major blow to Russia’s status and forcing it to deploy a few of its troops from japanese Ukraine, the place they have been urgent a slow-moving offensive.
The Russian military has been in a position to reclaim some territory within the Kursk area from Ukrainian forces, however has failed to totally dislodge them.
At the identical time, Russia has sought to interrupt Ukraine’s resistance with waves of strikes with cruise missiles and drones towards Ukraine’s energy grid and different infrastructure.
The newest assault on Christmas morning concerned 78 missiles and 106 drones, placing energy services, Ukraine’s air pressure mentioned. It claimed to have intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones and jammed 52 different drones.
On Thursday, Russia attacked Ukraine with 31 exploding drones. Twenty have been shot down and one other 11 didn’t attain their goal on account of jamming, the Ukrainian air pressure mentioned.
As a part of the every day barrage, Russian forces additionally struck a central market in Nikopol within the Dnipropetrovsk area with a drone, wounding eight individuals, based on native authorities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Thursday that Russia might once more hit Ukraine with the new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile that was first utilized in a Nov. 21 strike on the Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro.
Speaking to reporters, Putin mentioned Russia has just some Oreshnik missiles, however added that it wouldn’t hesitate to make use of them on Ukraine.
“We aren’t in a rush to make use of them, as a result of these are highly effective weapons meant for sure duties,” he mentioned. “But we wouldn’t exclude their use right now or tomorrow if essential.”
Putin mentioned Russia has launched serial manufacturing of the brand new weapon and reaffirmed a plan to deploy a few of Oreshnik missiles to Russia’s neighbor and ally Belarus. Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko advised reporters Thursday that his nation might host 10 or extra.
Ukraine struck again with drone strikes of its personal. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications mentioned the navy struck a plant in Kamensk-Shakhtynsky in Russia’s southern Rostov area that produces propellant for ballistic missiles.
“This strike is a part of a complete marketing campaign to weaken the capabilities of the Russian armed forces to hold out terrorist assaults towards Ukrainian civilians,” it mentioned in an announcement.
