Pentagon officials provided their latest assessment of the state of play on the battlefield, the role of North Korean troops in Kursk, and how what’s left of nearly $7 billion in funding for Ukraine could be allocated in the waning days of the Biden administration.

North Korea's decision to deploy troops to the Kursk region of Russia was seen as an escalation of the conflict. It was said that the North Korean leader hoped his forces would return home battle-tested and ready to fight for the homeland.

North Korean troops fighting alongside the Russian military to reclaim the Ukrainian-occupied area of Kursk are suffering heavy losses, the Ukrainian secret service said on Wednesday. Citing wiretapped phone conversations,

Soldiers of the 73rd Maritime Centre of Special Operations Forces of Ukraine repelled an attack by North Korean troops in the Kursk region. At least 12 soldiers were killed, and another 20 were injured.