The Ukrainian military reported that North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were provided with fake military documents, which included Russian names and birthplaces, in an attempt to hide the presence of foreign fighters. Ukraine's special operations forces stated on Sunday that they had killed three North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region and confiscated their documents.
However, the Ukrainian military noted that the signatures on the documents were in Korean, which "indicates the real origin of these soldiers," according to their statement.
Intelligence estimates from the US, Ukraine, and South Korea suggest that between 11,000 and 12,000 North Korean soldiers are currently in Russia. Some of these soldiers have already participated in combat alongside tens of thousands of Russian troops, helping to reclaim parts of Kursk that were seized during a Ukrainian offensive in August.
Since October, there have been "hundreds" of casualties, both killed and wounded, in Kursk. A South Korean lawmaker reported that around 100 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed, with nearly 1,000 others injured since their deployment to the region, according to the country's intelligence agency.
North Korean troops have reportedly suffered heavy losses in the Kursk region, according to US and Ukrainian officials, who accuse Russia of attempting to conceal their involvement. A senior US official stated that North Korea has experienced "several hundred" casualties, both killed and wounded, in Kursk since October.
Additionally, a South Korean lawmaker revealed that approximately 100 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed, with nearly 1,000 injured since their deployment to the area, as reported by the country's intelligence agency.
Ukraine's special forces reported on December 17 that 50 North Korean soldiers were killed and 47 injured within just three days while fighting alongside Russian troops in Kursk.
One Ukrainian unit noted that the North Koreans, wearing different uniforms from the Russians, had launched infantry attacks using "the same tactics as 70 years ago," seemingly referencing the Korean War, where waves of infantry were commonly used. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have yet to officially acknowledge the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.
