Russian forces suffered 38,000 casualties in Kyiv’s incursion into the Kursk region, according to Ukraine’s commander-in-chief.
Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Wednesday that Russian forces had also lost over 1,000 pieces of equipment and that Ukraine had taken hundreds of Russian troops captive.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Ukraine launched its incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast on August 6, claiming that it was able to quickly capture about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory.
Since then, Ukrainian forces have lost control of around half that land. but Kyiv still hopes that its gains and Russian troops captured can be leverage in potential negotiations with Moscow.
Ukraine’s military Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He said on January 1, 2025, that Moscow’s forces had lost 38,000 troops during Kyiv’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region launched in August. Ukraine’s military Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He said on January 1, 2025, that Moscow’s forces had lost 38,000 troops during Kyiv’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region launched in August. Yuriy Mate/Getty Images
What To Know
After visiting the region to reward his troops serving there, Syrskyi said in a Telegram post on Wednesday that the Russian army had lost over 38,000 troops.
It is not clear how many were killed and wounded and this figure has not been independently verified.
Syrskyi also said that Russia had lost more than 1,000 pieces of equipment and that over 700 troops had been captured.
“We will continue to destroy the invaders,” said Syrskyi according to a translation. “It doesn’t matter whether they have Russian or North Korean passports.”
“The heroic actions of the Ukrainian military forced the enemy to maintain a significant group of forces on its territory and transfer reserves from other directions,” he added in the message, next to images of him congratulating troops.
Ukraine’s fortunes in the Kursk region have fluctuated since it launched its surprise operation nearly five months ago.
Swift initial gains included the town of Suzhda, but since Ukraine’s early success and a tardy response from Moscow, Russia has deployed tens of thousands of troops, including an estimated 12,000 soldiers sent from North Korea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on December 23 that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured since their deployment in Kursk.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate said that lower-ranking commanders in the Russian military were providing false accounts of casualties among North Korean soldiers in Kursk, Ukrinform reported.
What People Are Saying
Retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett said the first reports of North Korean casualties showed a new escalation in the war and reflected “the continued shortfalls that Moscow has in finding enough troops for the fight with Ukraine.”
Murrett said their presence demonstrated Russia’s inability to expand mobilization and its challenges in continuing the war.
“This dynamic will be an important factor in negotiations that are likely to enter a new phase in the weeks and months ahead,” he told Newsweek.
Syrskyi told his troops: “Thanks to your resilience and courage, the enemy’s losses in the Kursk region amounted to more than 38,000 personnel and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment.”
John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said on December 27: “It’s clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses.”
What Happens Next
Ukraine is hoping to hang on to as much territory as it can in the coming weeks, especially if it is required as leverage amid speculation about what incoming President Donald Trump will mean for the war, given his pledge to end hostilities quickly.
However, Ukraine risks losing those hard-won gains and has warned that Russia has 50,000 troops stationed in the region, including the North Korean soldiers.
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