Over 3,000 North Korean troops killed, wounded in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says
The number of killed and injured North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast has surpassed 3,000, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement shared on Telegram on Dec. 23.
Russia has reportedly deployed about 12,000 North Korean troops to help oust Ukrainian troops fighting in Kursk Oblast since early August.
Zelensky warned of the global risks posed by deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including the transfer of modern warfare experience and advanced military technology.
“There are risks of North Korea sending additional soldiers and military equipment to the Russian army, and we will have tangible responses to this,” Zelensky said.
He added that increased collaboration between Russia and North Korea threatens to destabilize the Korean Peninsula and nearby regions.
Zelensky's estimation, that he said comes from Ukraine's intelligence, is a significant increase from other recent reports about the North Korean casualties.
South Korean MP Lee Sung-kwon told reporters on Dec. 19 that at least 100 North Korean troops have been killed and 1,000 injured, with casualties linked to their lack of experience with terrain and modern drone warfare.
Reports of North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast emerged earlier in November, but Russia reportedly started using them in ground assaults in December. Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed on Dec. 16 that North Korean soldiers had sustained their first casualties during combat in the region.
Ukrainian officials note that while North Korean forces are particularly vulnerable to drones, their presence has enabled Russian troops to make limited territorial gains in the oblast, retaking some of the land held by Ukrainian troops.
The deployment of North Korean forces follows Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August, marking an escalation of the war into Russian territory.
Asami Terajima
Related posts:
Ukraine war latest: North Korean troops joining Russian assaults in Kursk, Zelensky says
Ukraine war latest: First North Korean troops arrive in Kursk Oblast to participate in Russia's war against Ukraine
Russia preparing a 50,000-people-strong offensive in latest attempt to push Ukrainian army out of Kursk Oblast
Ukraine war latest: Zelensky blasts Putin’s Oreshnik threats, calling him ‘dumbass’
Ukraine war latest: North Korean soldiers reportedly 50 km from Ukraine's border
Ukraine war latest: Russia to deploy North Korean troops to combat zone on Oct. 27-28, Kyiv says
Ukraine war latest: Russia sets goal to fully occupy 4 Ukrainian regions in 2025
This is how North Korean troops could be used in Russia’s war in Ukraine
About The Author
