Ukrainian forces capture two North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast "The enemy is deploying armored vehicles and assault infantry groups in an effort to breach Ukrainian battle lines and seize our positions on foot,

Ukrainian troops captured two North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war (POWs) in Russia's Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 11. "This task was not easy," he said in a Telegram post.

Taking the fight to Russia won't deliver a knock-out blow, but it could show the Ukrainian people—and the West—that the Kremlin hasn't won yet. The timing of the attack came just over two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office.

"Their (Ukraine's) position in Kursk is an important one because certainly it's something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year," Blinken told reporters in Seoul.

The Washington Post (WP) has released an article stating that after almost a week of active fighting on the Kursk front, Ukraine's progress was minimal, with minor gains in some areas, but Russia advanced on the left flank and captured Ukrainian soldiers.