Up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces in countering a Ukrainian incursion launched in August 2024. After a January report that North Korean troops had pulled back, they were reportedly redeployed to Kursk last month.

Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, capturing around 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) and marking the first foreign invasion of Russia since World War II. After six months of fighting in the region, Russian troops have regained control of about 64% of the territory in the region, the Russian military claimed.