Ukraine held an estimated 514 square miles of Russian territory at its high point on Aug. 24, 2024, but as of March 12, Russian forces had retaken slightly more than 70%.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces invaded as Russian and North Korean forces accelerated an advance in the region.

Since then, Russian forces – bolstered by thousands of North Korean troops sent by Putin-ally Kim Jong-un – have sought to claw back most of that land. The North Korean troops began arriving in Kursk from late October as part of a mutual defence pact agreed between Putin and Kim.