U.S. officials told Bloomberg on Dec. 27 that they believe Ukraine may only have a few months left in its incursion into Kursk Oblast until Ukraine's military is forced to retreat from the region or risk being encircled by Russian forces.

KYIV, Ukraine — Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk, a region some want to hold at all costs while others question the value of having gone in at all.

On Dec. 20, a Ukrainian strike on enemy forces near Novoivanovka in Russia's Kursk Oblast inflicted heavy losses on North Korean troops, according to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR). The attack resulted in numerous casualties,

Anonymous US officials believe that should Russia intensify its efforts to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk Oblast from the start of the new year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces may need to retreat by spring 2025 to avoid encirclement.