The Ukrainian army is struggling to hold some positions on the front; about 50% of the captured territories in the Kursk region have been lost.

On December 16, Russian assault units carried out a series of attacks on Ukrainian positions in the eastern direction. In the resulting combat, some Ukrainian fortifications suffered significant damage, which made it impossible to hold them any longer, the Khortytsya Military District said. According to The Economist, about 50% of the territory in the Kursk region that Ukrainian troops captured at the beginning of the operation has already returned to Russian control. Russian troops had intensified their offensive in the area even before DPRK soldiers joined the fighting in the Kursk region. The enemy’s significant superiority in personnel, artillery, and equipment led to the loss of the territories Ukraine had held. Meanwhile, the US State Department stated that the DPRK military’s participation in the war against Ukraine is an escalation. If North Korean troops cross the border into Ukraine, it will be seen as an additional escalation by Russia and North Korea.