Kyodo News reported on Monday, citing Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Agency, that a North Korean soldier’s accidental weapon discharge resulted in the deaths of eight Russian troops in Russia’s western Kursk region.
According to the intelligence agency, the incident occurred on Saturday when a North Korean soldier accidentally fired at Russian military vehicles, causing the fatalities. The agency uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor North Korean troop movements in Kursk.
Kyodo News suggests that if these claims are accurate, it could indicate significant communication barriers between Russian and North Korean forces, potentially hampering operational effectiveness. This incident may also indicate an ineffective command structure between the two militaries.
The intelligence agency reports that North Korean troops deployed to Kursk, where Ukraine maintains control over some areas, have been integrated into Russian Marine and Airborne units for combat operations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a regular address on Saturday, “We have confirmed intelligence that Russia has begun integrating North Korean troops into its forces and deploying them in combat operations in Kursk.” He emphasized that this marks Russia’s first large-scale deployment of North Korean soldiers to engage Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.
Most Commented