Over 1,000 North Korean troops killed fighting in Ukraine
- 22 January, 13:11
North Korean troops are suffering heavy casualties in Russia’s Kursk region where they have been deployed to fight Ukrainian army units. Around 1,000 Pyongyang troops fighting alongside Russians against Ukraine have been killed as of mid-January, BBC reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed Western officials.
There have been 4,000 casualties, including those killed, injured or captured. The figure amounts to roughly 36% of Pyongyang’s 11,000-strong military contingency in Russia. BBC noted it remains unclear where wounded North Korean soldiers are receiving medical attention.
North Korea is believed to have sent thousands of troops to Kursk in December last year to help Russia fight Ukrainian troops that staged incursion in the region in August. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last month that two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops were captured. Zelenskiy claimed 3,000 Pyongyang troops have been killed or wounded in the war. In mid-January, South Korea reported that 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed and 2,700 wounded since their deployment. The high casualty rate among North Korean troops is linked to the lack of training as well as their lack of experience in modern warfare. Videos emerged in social media also suggest that North Korean soldiers have tendency to commit suicide to avoid captivity.
According to South Korean military, Pyongyang will send more servicemen and military equipment to Russia to help Moscow’s war efforts. On Wednesday, an unnamed US defence official told New York times newspaper that Pyongyang is expected to supply Russia with additional reinforcements “within the next two months.” North Korea has already sent 240mm multiple rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled howitzers to Russia.
