**Russian Military Blogger Claims “Village in Kursk Recaptured”**
**Zelensky Also Reveals “Engagement with North Korean Troops” for the First Time**
**EU Discusses Sending Peacekeeping Forces to Ukraine**
Reports have emerged suggesting that North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s southwestern Kursk region, a battlefield between Russia and Ukraine, recently killed 300 Ukrainian soldiers and recaptured the village of Pleo-khovo, which had been occupied by Ukrainian forces. On the 14th, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also revealed that a significant number of North Korean troops deployed to Russia have been engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces.
According to Russian media such as Novaya Gazeta, Vladimir Romanov, a Russian military blogger identifying as a “war correspondent,” claimed via his Telegram channel on the 12th that “North Korean troops attacked Pleo-khovo like a ‘hurricane’ and repelled Ukrainian forces holding the area within about two hours, resulting in the death of over 300 Ukrainian soldiers.”
Another blogger, Yuri Kotenok, also reported, “On the 6th, North Korean troops walked 2km through a minefield and launched a surprise attack on Pleo-khovo. During the approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes operation, 200–300 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.”
There were also reports of friendly fire due to communication issues between North Korean and Russian troops. Kyiv Post reported on the 14th, citing Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Intelligence Directorate (HUR), that North Korean troops mistakenly fired on Russian troops in Kursk, leading to the death of 8 Russian soldiers.
With Donald Trump, who pledged to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, set to return to power on January 20th next year, relevant countries are accelerating their moves. According to Politico Europe, key countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) will discuss deploying a Western-led “peacekeeping force” to Ukraine during a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on the 18th. President-elect Trump has previously stated, “Russia and Ukraine should swiftly reach a ceasefire agreement, after which European military forces should monitor compliance with the agreement by both sides.” Discussions will likely focus on sending a force responsible for this task. European leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with President Zelensky, are expected to attend.