Russians continue to engage units of the army of North Korea in combat operations in the Kursk region. On New Year’s Eve, the North Korean soldiers got drunk, according to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, North Korea continues to suffer significant losses among its personnel. To replace the losses and strengthen their positions, Russian commanders are deploying new North Korean soldiers to the front line. On December 31 and January 1, North Korean soldiers were moved to positions near the settlements of:

• Fanaseevka;
• Ulanok;
• Cherkasskaya Konopelka.

At the same time, lower-level commanders lie in their reports to the higher command about real losses among North Korean soldiers.

“The morale of the North Korean soldiers has fallen. They are constantly being treated with Russian army propaganda about the great importance of the North Korean army’s participation in the war against Ukraine. On New Year’s Eve, cases of alcohol abuse were recorded among North Korean soldiers, including those involved in combat operations,” the intelligence adds.

Participation of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine

According to South Korea, about 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia. Some of them were transferred to the Kursk region after training.

On December 16, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that North Korean soldiers had already begun to take part in battles in the Kursk region of Russia.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon does not see much effectiveness in the participation of North Korean troops in the battles and has reported significant losses.

Read our article to find out what the North Korean troops bring to Russia and whether there is any effect on the frontline.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President, stated that currently, there can be no negotiations with the Kremlin because Russia has not been forced to pay a sufficiently high price for the war.

Ukrainian officials currently reject any talks of pressure or assumptions that peace negotiations are inevitable, BBC said.

“No negotiation process can take place because Russia has not been made to pay a high enough price for this war,” he said.

Podolyak noted much is being said about negotiations, but this is an illusion.

Ukraine-Russia negotiations

In recent months, many statements have been regarding negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. However, most of these come from the Kremlin, even though the occupiers’ actions suggest otherwise.

At the end of November, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha emphasized that despite constant statements, Russia does not actually want peace in the war.

Additionally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently rejected “peace proposals” from the team of newly elected US President Donald Trump, even though no official US initiatives have been announced.

Moreover, Russia’s unwillingness for peace talks is evident in the continued shelling of Ukraine. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently noted, over the past week, the occupiers launched 120 missile strikes and 500 airstrikes on Ukraine. Additionally, Russia used nearly 660 drones in its attacks.