[News Spot] 'Kursk' Raised as Site of First Clash Between North Korean and Ukrainian Forces

Russia-Ukraine Border Region
Strategic Russian Hub with Nuclear Power Plant and Gas Pipelines
Many Battles Fought Due to Geopolitical Factors

Kursk, located in southwestern Russia, is a border region adjacent to Sumy in northeastern Ukraine. It covers an area of 29,800 km² and has a population of 1.08 million (as of 2021). The Ukrainian military support group 'Blue-Yellow' claimed on the 28th (local time) that North Korean troops deployed in Russia engaged in their first battle with Ukrainian forces here on the 25th. Except for one soldier carrying a Buryat ID, all other North Korean soldiers were killed, and as evidence, they released a photo of the North Korean flag they had captured.

Kursk is the first region of Russian mainland territory occupied by Ukraine. After focusing on defending its own territory for over two years since the outbreak of the war, Ukraine launched a sudden assault on Kursk on August 6 using forces gathered in Sumy. This is the first time Russian mainland has been attacked since World War II.

This move is a strategic gamble by Ukraine to create a buffer zone and gain leverage in peace negotiations. Ukraine claimed to have occupied about 100 villages and approximately 1,200 km² of territory through this attack. Military experts have offered various interpretations. Some experts positively evaluated it as a bold attempt to change the war atmosphere. On the other hand, some dismissed it as merely expanding and prolonging a war of attrition that favors resource-rich Russia.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kursk is a strategically vital area that must be recaptured due to its geopolitical significance. Kursk lies on a corridor connecting Europe, Ukraine, and Russia. It is rich in iron deposits and features a vast plain that leads directly to Moscow, the Russian capital. The straight-line distance from here to Moscow is only 530 km. Even the forests here are strip-like bands of trees rather than dense woods.

Kursk is home to one of Russia's three major nuclear power plants, the 'Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.' Additionally, the city of Sudzha in this region hosts the final transport measurement station of the 'Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod' gas pipeline, which supplies Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine.

Artificial flag believed to have been captured by Ukrainian forces [Image source=LRT capture]

Earlier, the British Financial Times (FT) assessed that the deployment of North Korean troops could numerically assist Russia in recapturing the Kursk region lost to Ukraine. However, there are also many analyses suggesting that North Korean troops may struggle to demonstrate their combat effectiveness. The U.S. Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted that North Korean training mainly focuses on infiltration, assassination, and infrastructure sabotage suited to the mountainous terrain of the Korean Peninsula, making it difficult for them to perform well on the unfamiliar plains. Conversely, this explains why Ukrainian drone attacks from the air have been effective against Russian forces.

Due to these geopolitical factors, many battles have historically taken place in the Kursk region. Notably, the largest battle of the German-Soviet war during World War II, the 'Battle of Kursk,' occurred here. In 1943, on the vast open plains where sky and land stretched wide, the largest armored battle in history was fought. Although records vary slightly, it is said that both sides deployed 3 million troops, 30,000 artillery pieces, 8,000 tanks, and 5,000 aircraft. The Soviet victory in this battle secured control of the Eastern Front and is regarded as a turning point in the war.