U.S. Drops Bombshell: North Korean Troops Are Dying in Combat with Russia in Ukraine

U.S. officials have confirmed that North Korean troops deployed alongside Russian forces have engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces, resulting in casualties. The Pentagon announced on Monday that North Korean soldiers suffered losses while fighting with Russian troops in Kursk, Russia. This marks the first official U.S. acknowledgment of North Korean combat involvement and casualties in the ongoing conflict.

Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder stated during a press briefing, “Yeah, what I can tell you is that we do assess that North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat in Kursk alongside Russian forces. We do have indications that they have suffered casualties, both killed and wounded.” Ryder noted that while specific casualty numbers remain unclear, North Korean forces were deployed to the frontlines last week.

Ryder explained that North Korean units have been integrated into Russian formations, primarily in infantry roles.

John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, also discussed recent military movements, noting that North Korean personnel have been observed shifting from rear echelons to frontline positions and engaging in combat operations. He confirmed that North Korean forces are experiencing casualties on the battlefield, including significant losses in both fatalities and injuries, although precise figures are not available.

Kirby estimated the casualties to be “several dozen,” emphasizing that these are not insignificant losses.

Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller corroborated these reports, confirming that U.S. intelligence has observed North Korean soldiers killed in action on Russian soil. Miller emphasized, “So in our view, the North Korean soldiers who were deployed to Kursk are already legitimate targets. They entered a war, and they are, as such, combatants and are legitimate targets for the Ukrainian military.”

He further cautioned, “And if they were to cross the border into Ukraine, that would be yet another escalation by the Government of Russia and also an escalation by the Government of North Korean to send North Korean troops to prosecute a war of aggression against an independent, sovereign nation inside that nation’s borders.”

Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (DIU) reported on Saturday via its website that mixed units of North Korean and Russian airborne and marine forces had suffered catastrophic and irrecoverable losses during Ukrainian counteroffensive operations. The DIU estimated that fatalities among these combined Russian-North Korean units had reached approximately 200, though they did not specify the proportion of North Korean casualties.

North Korea has reportedly deployed around 10,000 troops to support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

Kursk, a region that has faced challenges in territorial control since an unexpected Ukrainian advance in August, is believed to be a focal point for the deployment of North Korean forces.