Six North Korean Officers Killed in Ukraine: North Korea’s Involvement in Russia’s War Grows

Reports have surfaced that six North Korean officers were killed in a Russian-occupied area near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, drawing international attention. Donetsk remains one of the most fiercely contested regions in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. Russian President Vladimir Putin has underscored the strategic importance of the area, stating that Russia’s primary war objective is to capture both Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.

According to a report from Radio Free Asia (RFA), citing Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Post, Ukrainian intelligence sources confirmed that six North Korean military officers were among more than twenty casualties from a missile strike by Ukrainian forces the previous day. Several North Korean soldiers reportedly sustained injuries during the attack.

The report indicated that the North Korean officers were present at a nearby training facility and had been dispatched to serve as instructors. This aligns with claims from the Russian patriotic organization “Kremlin Snuffbox,” which posted on Telegram that a Russian Defense Ministry official confirmed the deaths of 20 soldiers, including the six North Korean officers, during missile defense training. The group also reported that three North Korean officers were injured and subsequently transported to Moscow for treatment. The incident occurred while North Korean personnel inspected troop deployments on September 30.

Earlier this year, remnants of shell casings marked with the Korean character ‘ㅈ’ were discovered on the battlefield in Ukraine, fueling suspicions that North Korea was supplying arms to Russia. However, this is the first confirmed report of North Korean military personnel being killed in combat. Ukrainian intelligence previously suggested that North Korean units, including engineers, were operating in Russian-held territories. Ukrainian officials have also alleged that Russia intends to use North Korean labor for construction projects in occupied areas, including Donetsk and Luhansk.

The growing collaboration between North Korea and Russia has become increasingly evident since the war began. Experts have pointed to North Korea’s alleged provision of weapons, such as shells and missiles, to Russia. According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, North Korea has supplied Russia with over one million artillery shells, and Russia has used North Korean-made ballistic missiles in strikes against Ukraine. These transfers of arms violate United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which prohibit all arms trade with North Korea.

In a recent high-level UNSC meeting in September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned both North Korea and Iran, accusing them of being complicit in Russia’s war crimes. Zelenskyy stated, “North Korea and Iran are killing Ukrainian people by providing weapons, assisting Vladimir Putin in his attempts to steal Ukrainian land.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine has escalated its attacks on Russian energy facilities, especially as the winter months approach. On October 4, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched airstrikes on oil storage sites in Voronezh, a border region in Russia. According to the AFP, Ukrainian Security Service sources claimed responsibility for the drone strikes on a facility housing 20 fuel storage tanks. The sources noted that Russian air defense systems failed to intercept the attack.

In addition, Ukrainian forces have targeted military infrastructure in Borisoglebsk, Voronezh, including fuel storage facilities and armories, using drones. Ukraine has defended these actions as retaliation for Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s own energy infrastructure, which have led to power shortages across the country.