According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine invaded this past August.
John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, also reported on Friday that Russia is deploying “human waves” of North Korean soldiers in Kursk. North Koreans sent to the front are reportedly committing suicide, rather than be caught, “likely out of fear of reprisals against their families.”
There is currently no confirmation about the extent of North Korean casualties during the Kursk operation, but videos posted by Ukrainian accounts have shown what appears to be dead North Korea soldiers. These North Korean soldiers have also been targeted by first-person drones (FPVs), which Ukraine has deployed in large numbers throughout the war.
Ukraine’s SOF Eliminate DPRK Troops in Russia
Soldiers of the 73rd Naval Center of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) repelled North Korean troops’ assault on one of the positions of Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces in Russia’s Kursk region. pic.twitter.com/5ZhjjcTmiH
— 73centreuasof (@73centreuasof) December 19, 2024Other footage purports to show North Korean soldiers targeted by Ukrainian infantry in the Kursk region.
Ukraine’s SOF Eliminate DPRK Troops in Russia
Soldiers of the 73rd Naval Center of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) repelled North Korean troops’ assault on one of the positions of Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces in Russia’s Kursk region. pic.twitter.com/5ZhjjcTmiH
— 73centreuasof (@73centreuasof) December 19, 2024Although North Korean soldiers may be suffering high casualties, Western sources speaking with Bloomberg voiced their concern that all of Kursk could be lost to Ukrainian forces within months, as the Russians continue to make gains.
Putin is determined to remove Ukrainian soldiers from the area at all costs, and aside from the thousands of North Korean soldiers storming Ukrainian positions, Moscow is deploying its best military equipment to ensure Russian victories in Kursk, writes Hungarian news outlet Mandiner.
Recent video from the Russian Ministry of Defense shows the highly maneuverable Su-35S carrying out several operations in the area.
Meanwhile, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s willingness to start peace negotiations.
“We have always been ready and are ready for negotiations. We would like to emphasize that we want a reliable, legally stable agreement that will eliminate the causes of the conflict and define the mechanisms that will make it impossible to violate the treaty,” said Lavrov.
The Russian foreign minister added that Putin also spoke about this on Dec. 19 and that it is Zelensky who has continuously remained closed to any such talks.
