North Korean Special Forces in Russia: Experts Warn of 90% Casualty Risk in Ukraine War

Amid growing global concerns, North Korea has launched a large-scale deployment to assist Russia in the Ukraine war, leading to local forecasts that North Korean troops may be sent to the front lines in Ukraine. Some estimates indicate that North Korean soldiers could face a casualty rate of nearly 90%, bordering on a catastrophic level.

On Sunday, SBS released an interview with Andriy Zahorodniuk, who served as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense under the Zelenskyy government from 2019 to 2020.

Zahorodniuk explained that during Ukraine’s brief control over parts of Russia’s Kursk Oblast last August, they encountered no Russian troops. “The area was almost empty,” he said, noting that nearly all of Russia’s military power is concentrated in the southeastern Donbas region, which included Donetsk and Luhansk.

He described Russia’s current tactics as reminiscent of World War I, where large numbers of assault troops are deployed to seize specific positions, regardless of high casualty rates. The UK Ministry of Defense reports that Russian forces suffer up to 1,300 casualties per day.

Zahorodniuk predicted that North Korean troops would likely be deployed to the Donbas region, where the Russian military is currently engaged in total warfare. He warned that North Korean troops would likely play a role in breaking through and occupying Ukrainian positions, with casualty rates potentially reaching up to 90%.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo Kyung, South Korea’s Deputy Minister of Unification, also appeared on Channel A that day. He predicted the deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines but suggested they might be sent to the Russian territory of Kursk instead of Ukraine. He argued that Kursk is where Russia is struggling and trying hard to reclaim territory, unlike the relatively stagnant front in Donetsk.

On Friday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed that over 1,500 North Korean special forces had been transported to Vladivostok on Russian ships, further fueling concerns about North Korea’s deepening involvement in the conflict.