The United States has reported that North Korean personnel had been killed in combat with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk border region of Russia. Since it was revealed in October that North Korea had committed some 10,000 men to support Russia’s war effort, these would be the first losses to be recorded. According to the GUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence service, fighting over the weekend claimed the lives of at least 30 North Korean soldiers. The accusations have not been independently confirmed by the BBC.
It is thought that the North Korean troops, none of whom will have any prior combat experience, trained for a few weeks before being deployed to Russia and subsequently served in support capacities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Russia had started using a “significant number” in its attacks on Kursk, which Ukraine has controlled since an unexpected invasion in August.
The United States believes that North Korean soldiers “engaged in combat in Kursk alongside Russian forces” and “suffered casualties, both killed and wounded,” according to Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder, who spoke to reporters on Monday. However, he stated that the troops had been engaged in action since “a little over a week ago” without providing precise numbers.
According to the GUR, the North Korean deaths took place in the Kursk settlements of Plekhovo, Vorobzha, and Martynovka on Saturday and Sunday. Drone footage of several guys hiding behind trees was shared by President Zelensky on Telegram on Monday. He claimed the men were North Korean forces who had just participated in an attack on a Ukrainian position. Additionally, he shared video that he claimed showed Russian soldiers attempting to hide North Koreans on the battlefield by burning the faces of the dead with a campfire. “Ukraine’s Defense Forces and intelligence are working to determine the full extent of the actual losses suffered by Russian units that include North Koreans,” he stated. Additionally, he stated that there was
