In Part 3 of our Kursk offensive series, we cover December 2024 through January 2025, as the Russian Grouping of Forces “North” struggles to recover from heavy losses. To reinforce depleted units, Russia deploys 12,000 North Korean troops—well-trained but inexperienced in modern combined-arms and drone-dominated warfare. Initial human-wave assaults cause devastating casualties among DPRK forces, while Ukrainians leverage FPV and fiber-optic drones, cluster munitions, and elite assault units to blunt advances and secure key positions. Russian mechanized units continue frontal attacks with limited gains, suffering high losses from mines, drones, and artillery strikes. By late January, the Ukrainian-held salient shrinks to roughly 400 square kilometers, yet remains fortified and resilient, highlighting both the evolving role of drones in modern combat and the strategic stalemate shaping the Kursk region. This phase sets the stage for upcoming maneuvers and counterattacks.