Ukrainian media, including the Kyiv Post, reported on Tuesday that North Korean military casualties in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had reached 100 over the past three days.
The Kyiv Post cited a video released by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) on Telegram, stating that Ukrainian forces had killed 50 North Korean soldiers and wounded over 47 over the past three days.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), told The War Zone on Monday that North Korean troops launched a large-scale combat operation in Kursk last week. He reported that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers stationed in Kursk for several months have recently intensified their attacks, resulting in over 200 casualties.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that Russia is conducting a powerful counteroffensive using North Korean troops to drive Ukrainian forces out of southwestern Kursk, as reported by The Moscow Times.
Syrskyi said, “The enemy has been actively using units of the North Korean army in Kursk for three consecutive days, conducting intensive offensive operations. These North Korean soldiers have already suffered significant losses. Ukrainian Defense Forces firmly hold their defensive lines while destroying enemy forces and equipment.”
Earlier, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that its forces had killed or wounded at least 30 North Korean soldiers over the weekend in frontline villages in the Kursk region.
Zelenskyy also shared a 30-second video on his Telegram channel the day before. He stated, “Russia is even burning the faces of dead North Korean soldiers to conceal their identities.”
During a briefing on the same day, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder confirmed that North Korean troops had been engaged in combat alongside Russian forces in Kursk. He also noted indications of North Korean casualties. This statement marked the first official acknowledgment by the U.S. government of North Korean combat engagement and casualties.
Ryder noted that while specific casualty numbers were unavailable, North Korean forces were confirmed to be deployed in combat last week.
John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Advisor, stated in a briefing the previous day that for the past few days, North Korean soldiers have been observed moving from the second lines to the front lines and actively participating in combat operations.
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