Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied by daily combat losses and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk.

A "human wave" of North Korean soldiers fighting on Russia's side in the Ukraine war are being sent to their deaths in futile attacks by generals who see them as "expendable," the White House said Friday."These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile.

Ukraine faces growing concerns as Russian forces continue to make near-daily advances, with Bloomberg reporting that U.S. officials believe Ukrainian troops could be pushed out of Kursk by next spring.

Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia's Kursk region and increased pressure in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine's top army commander said on Tuesday.

After a surprise offensive earlier this year, Ukraine’s forces have lost about half the territory seized in Russia’s Kursk region and may lose the rest in a matter of months, according to US officials,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy worried that North Korean troops suffered 'significant' losses in the Kursk region. Zelenskiy, also said Russian troops were sending the North Koreans into battle with just minimal protection.