Ukraine reports 30 North Korean soldiers killed in Kursk region combat

Ukraine’s military intelligence and the Pentagon have reported that approximately 30 North Korean soldiers were killed or injured while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kursk region.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, stated on Monday that North Korean army units sustained “significant losses,” with at least 30 soldiers either killed or wounded in the areas near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorobzha, and Martynovka.

GUR reported that at least three North Korean servicemen went missing in the village of Kurilovka.

Pentagon spokesperson Major-General Pat Ryder confirmed that US intelligence had found indications of North Korean casualties in the Kursk region. However, neither Russia nor North Korea has commented on these claims.

The Kremlin, which typically refrains from disclosing casualty details, directed inquiries to the Russian Ministry of Defence, which has not yet responded.

According to intelligence from South Korea, the US, and Ukraine, approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia to fight against Ukrainian forces. Most of these troops have been sent to the Kursk region, which has been partially controlled by Ukraine since Kyiv’s surprise incursion into Russian territory in August.

Analysts suggest that the North Korean troops may face challenges, such as a lack of combat experience and language barriers. Although the deployment of North Korean troops has not been officially confirmed by Pyongyang or Moscow, both countries have increasingly strengthened their military ties in recent months.

In June, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense treaty during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Pyongyang. This treaty obligates both countries to provide military assistance to each other using “all means” necessary in the event of aggression.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, Moscow has reportedly relied on foreign fighters to bolster its front-line numbers. There have been reports of men from South Asian countries, including Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, who have joined the war as mercenaries.

These fighters have been sent directly to the front lines, often without military training and without receiving their salaries. Some Nepali recruits have reported that they expected to serve in backup roles but were instead pushed to the front lines.

Both Russia and Ukraine have rarely provided specific figures on their own casualties since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Russian media outlet Mediazona reported in September that more than 71,000 Russian soldiers had been confirmed killed in the war. Ukraine’s General Staff claimed that, as of October 1, over 654,000 Russian personnel had been killed.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry estimates that nearly half a million Ukrainian troops have been killed, according to a September report by RT news.