On January 7, 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) executed a precise strike on the command post of the 810th separate brigade of the Russian Navy in the vicinity of Bila, Kursk Oblast. This information was confirmed by the General Staff of the AFU.
The General Staff stated that such fire damage is an integral part of the combat operations conducted by Ukraine's defense forces, which are actively engaged in military actions on Russian territory. The specific means used for the strike and the resulting Russian casualties were not disclosed.
On the same day, the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine reported the deaths of 13 North Korean soldiers participating in combat on the side of Russia in Kursk. According to the Special Operations Forces, five North Korean fighters were killed in a firefight, while eight were eliminated using drones. Following the battle, operators from the 8th Special Operations Regiment examined the North Korean military personnel and their documents, discovering equipment that suggests one may belong to an officer.
Earlier, the General Staff of the AFU reported that approximately 4,000 of the 12,000 North Korean military personnel deployed in Kursk have been killed, with some North Korean units rendered non-combat ready.
Over the past five months of active hostilities, total losses for the occupying forces have exceeded 38,000 personnel, with around 15,000 confirmed dead. Additionally, during the operation, Ukrainian forces captured 860 Russian soldiers.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine outlined the primary objectives of the AFU's operations in Kursk in his evening address prior to these events.