These are not battle-hardened troops. They haven't been in combat before.
As war reshapes itself along Russia's Kursk frontier, a new American administration reaches toward the conflict with cautious hands. Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump's designated Ukraine envoy, is preparing a January journey to Kyiv and European capitals — a fact-finding mission that suggests the incoming White House intends to see the war firsthand before deciding how to engage it. Into this diplomatic overture arrives a sobering human signal: North Korean soldiers, untested in battle, are absorbing hundreds of casualties in the Kursk offensive, revealing how far Russia has stretched to sustain its campaign.
- North Korean troops with no prior combat experience are being fed into one of the war's most intense operational zones, suffering hundreds of casualties in a matter of days.
- Russia's willingness to absorb these losses signals a manpower crisis deep enough to require foreign soldiers as battlefield filler rather than specialized assets.
- Ukraine's top commander has confirmed the scale of the Kursk offensive, framing it as a sustained, resource-heavy push that shows no sign of relenting.
- Keith Kellogg's planned Kyiv visit — with stops potentially in Rome and Paris — marks the first concrete move by the Trump team to assess the war on its own terms.
- The convergence of escalating foreign involvement and incoming American diplomacy suggests the conflict is entering a new and more complex phase as 2025 approaches.
Keith Kellogg, the retired general chosen to guide Donald Trump's Ukraine policy, is preparing to travel to Kyiv in early January. His team describes it as a fact-finding mission, with meetings planned with senior Ukrainian leaders and possible stops in European capitals including Rome and Paris. The itinerary is still taking shape, but the trip itself carries meaning: the incoming administration intends to engage with the conflict directly, not merely inherit it from a distance.
The timing is significant. On the ground in Russia's Kursk region, North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces have sustained several hundred casualties in recent days — a toll that spans the wounded, the severely injured, and the killed. What amplifies the weight of these numbers is who is bearing them. These soldiers have no prior battlefield experience. They are being deployed into one of the war's most demanding operational environments with little preparation for what combat actually demands.
Ukraine's military commander Oleksandr Syrsky confirmed that Russia has committed these forces to an aggressive, multi-day offensive in Kursk — the kind of sustained push that requires either experienced reserves or a tolerance for heavy losses. Russia appears to be choosing the latter. US military officials assessed plainly that the inexperience of these troops is directly contributing to their casualties, as seasoned soldiers would navigate the same conditions with greater tactical awareness.
For Kellogg and the administration he represents, this is the landscape they are preparing to understand. The presence of North Korean soldiers, the scale of their losses, and the intensity of the Kursk fighting all suggest a war in transition. His January visit will be the first real measure of how seriously the incoming White House intends to reckon with what it is inheriting.
Keith Kellogg, the retired three-star general tapped to shape Donald Trump's approach to Ukraine, is preparing to travel to Kyiv in early January for what his team is calling a fact-finding mission. According to two people familiar with the planning, Kellogg will meet with senior Ukrainian leaders and is working to arrange stops in other European capitals—Rome and Paris among them—though the itinerary remains fluid. The trip signals that the incoming administration intends to engage directly with the conflict rather than approach it solely through existing diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, the human cost of Russia's reliance on foreign fighters is becoming clearer. North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region have sustained several hundred casualties in recent days, according to a senior US military official. The count encompasses the full spectrum of combat injuries: soldiers with light wounds, those severely injured, and those killed in action. What makes this toll significant is not just the number but the nature of the forces suffering it. These North Korean soldiers are not seasoned combat veterans. They have no prior battlefield experience. They are, in effect, being thrown into one of the war's most intense operational zones with minimal preparation for what they will face.
Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, confirmed that Russia has deployed these North Korean forces directly into the heart of an aggressive offensive that has been grinding on for several days across the Kursk region. The offensive itself represents a major commitment of resources and manpower—the kind of sustained push that typically requires either deep reserves of experienced troops or a willingness to accept significant losses. Russia appears to be choosing the latter, cycling inexperienced foreign soldiers into the fight.
The casualties among North Korean troops reflect a broader pattern in the war: as Russia's own manpower becomes strained, it has increasingly turned to soldiers from outside its borders. The losses suggest these forces are not being used as specialized units with particular tactical advantages, but rather as additional bodies to sustain the offensive. A US military official's assessment was blunt: because these troops lack combat experience, they are suffering the kind of losses that more seasoned forces might avoid or minimize through better tactics and field awareness.
Kellogg's planned visit to Kyiv arrives at a moment when the conflict's character is shifting in visible ways. The arrival of North Korean forces, the scale of casualties they are taking, and the intensity of the Kursk offensive all point to a war entering a new phase. For the incoming Trump administration, understanding the current state of Ukrainian resolve, the condition of its military, and the views of European allies will be crucial to whatever diplomatic or military strategy it pursues. Kellogg's trip is the first concrete signal that such an assessment is underway.
Notable Quotes
These are not battle-hardened troops. They haven't been in combat before, which is why they have been suffering the casualties that they have at the hands of the Ukrainians.— Senior US military official
Russia has used North Korean troops at the heart of an intensive offensive in Kursk over several days.— Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's commander-in-chief
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Kellogg's visit matter at this particular moment?
Because Trump takes office in weeks, and right now there's no clear policy. Kellogg is essentially being sent to gather intelligence—to see what's actually happening on the ground and what the Ukrainians and Europeans actually want. It's a listening tour before decisions get made.
And the North Korean troops—why are they there?
Russia is running low on its own soldiers. Rather than slow the offensive or accept stalemate, it's pulling in foreign fighters. North Korea gets paid, Russia gets bodies. The problem is those bodies don't know what they're doing.
Several hundred casualties in days sounds like a lot.
It is. For context, that's not a small skirmish. That's a sustained offensive where one side is taking heavy losses because it lacks the training to avoid them. It tells you something about how desperate Russia is to maintain momentum.
What does this mean for negotiations?
That's what Kellogg is going to figure out. If Russia is this committed to the Kursk offensive—committed enough to burn through North Korean troops—then it's not ready to negotiate from weakness. That changes what's actually possible diplomatically.
So the trip and the casualties are connected?
Exactly. Kellogg needs to understand what he's actually dealing with. Is Ukraine still capable of fighting? Are Europeans still committed? And what does Russia's behavior tell us about its intentions? The North Korean casualties are part of the answer.