Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military intelligence and the Pentagon have reported large losses among North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region. North Korean army units suffered “significant losses,” with at least 30 soldiers confirmed killed or injured near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorobzha, and Martynovka, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine announced on Monday.
Additionally, GUR noted that at least three North Korean servicemen are missing in the vicinity of Kurilovka. Pentagon spokesperson Major-General Pat Ryder corroborated these claims during a press briefing in Washington, DC, stating that U.S. intelligence has found “indications” of North Korean troops being “killed and injured” in combat in Kursk.
The Kremlin, which usually does not disclose the exact casualty figures for its forces and allies, referred questions to the Russian Ministry of Defence, which did not immediately comment.
According to intelligence reports from South Korea, the U.S., and Ukraine, some 11,000 North Korean soldiers have reportedly been sent to Russia to support operations against Ukrainian forces. The majority of them are based in the Kursk region, which has had partial Ukrainian control since Kyiv’s unexpected incursion into Russian territory in August.
Analysts say North Korean soldiers might suffer from a lack of combat experience and language barriers. Though the deployment of those troops has not been officially confirmed by either Pyongyang or Moscow, the two countries have publicly increased their military cooperation in recent months. A historic mutual defense treaty signed in Pyongyang on June 19 during the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin binds the two countries to provide military assistance to each other in case of aggression.
As the conflict rages on, Russia has reportedly turned to recruiting foreign fighters to augment its ranks amid mounting casualties. There are reports of men from South Asian countries like Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka being sent to the front lines as mercenaries, many times without receiving their salaries. In January this year, Nepali soldiers said they were told that they would serve as backups because they had no military training, but they were sent to the front lines.
Both Russia and Ukraine have shown reluctance to disclose the number of their troops killed or injured since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. In September, a report by Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, estimated more than 71,000 Russian soldiers confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that over 654,000 Russian personnel have died in the conflict as of October 1. On the other hand, Russia’s Defence Ministry estimated that Kyiv has lost close to half a million troops, according to a September report by RT news.
