North Korea has reportedly deployed additional troops to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces have been engaging Russian units. The exact number of North Korean soldiers remains unclear, but according to South Korean media reports, as many as 3,000 personnel have arrived between January and February 2025. The troops were transported using Russian cargo ships and military aircraft, with new motorized rifle, engineering, and reconnaissance units joining the battlefield.

On February 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian forces had once again introduced North Korean troops into the region, resulting in heavy casualties among both Russian and North Korean soldiers. On February 11, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russia had sent hundreds of its officers to North Korea under the pretext of medical treatment. However, analysts suggested that this move was linked to a military training program aimed at exchanging combat experience between Russian and North Korean forces. On February 19, Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said that about 1,000 North Korean soldiers were undergoing training on advanced military equipment in Russia, allowing them to adapt rapidly to modern combat tactics, including drone operations.

Meanwhile, ISW has assessed that Russia is pressuring Ukraine to surrender major cities such as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kramatorsk through political negotiations rather than military force. Despite Russian claims of aiming to seize full control over the occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson, these key urban centers remain under Ukrainian control. The Kremlin's strategy appears to focus on diplomatic coercion, as Moscow struggles to make further territorial gains due to significant losses in personnel and equipment. Analysts warn that if Russia were to succeed, it could lead to humanitarian crises similar to those seen in other occupied areas, marked by forced deportations and suppression of local populations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has insisted that any resolution to the war should be based on Moscow’s original demands from 2021. These include Ukraine ceding territories that remain under its control, effectively transferring over a million people to Russian rule. ISW has also noted that despite calls from Western leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, for a ceasefire, the Kremlin remains focused on achieving its war objectives through military and political means. Ukrainian forces have recently made advances near Toretsk and Pokrovsk, while Russian troops have gained ground in areas such as Kupiansk, Chasiv Yar, Kurakhove, Velyka Novosilka, and Robotyne.

At the same time, reports indicate that the United States and Russia have held discussions on potential economic cooperation in the Arctic, despite ongoing tensions over the war in Ukraine. Bloomberg sources suggest that both countries see opportunities for collaboration in resource extraction and new trade routes as melting ice due to climate change makes the region more accessible. Following a meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 18, the head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, revealed that energy projects in the Arctic were among the topics discussed. While some U.S. officials view this engagement as a way to weaken Russia’s ties with China, doubts remain over the feasibility of this approach, given the strong partnership between Moscow and Beijing in recent years.

European and NATO allies have expressed concern over the prospect of U.S.-Russia cooperation in the Arctic, particularly as Western nations continue efforts to isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Despite economic pressures and sanctions, Russia remains focused on expanding its strategic influence in the region while continuing its military and political campaigns in Ukraine.

Sources:

• Reuters
• Ukrainska Pravda
• ISW
• Bloomberg