Over 3,000 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded in Russia’s Kursk
- 24 December, 06:44
The number of North Korean soldiers killed or wounded during fightings in Russia’s Kursk region has reached 3,000, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement shared on Telegram on Monday, December 23. The high casualties among North Korean troops are believed to be linked to their lack of experience with terrain and modern drone warfare.
Earlier, South Korea warned that Pyongyang would deploy more troops and soldiers in Russia. Around 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed in the border Kursk region since Ukraine’s large-scale incursion in August.
Zelenskiy warned of the global risk posed by the Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation that has been deepening since Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “There are risks of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army, and we will have tangible responses to this,” Zelensky said, stressing that this cooperation also threatens the Korean peninsula and nearby regions.
Earlier, on Monday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, JCS, warned that North Korea was planning to send more of its troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
"A comprehensive assessment of multiple intelligence shows that North Korea is preparing to rotate or increase the deployment of troops [in Russia] while currently supplying 240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery," the JCS said.
According to South Korean Prime Minister Lee Sung-kwon’s statement made on December 19, over 100 North Korean troops have been killed and 1,000 injured, in Russia-Ukraine war so far.
