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Ukraine’s military intelligence and the Pentagon have confirmed that Ukrainian troops have killed several North Korean soldiers fighting for the Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.

 

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known as GUR, also confirmed that North Korean army units had suffered “significant losses,” with at least 30 soldiers” killed and wounded near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorobzha, and Martynovka.

 

"Additionally, a few more casualties have also been reported near the village of Kurilovka, the GUR added in a statement.

 

During a press briefing in Washington, DC, Pentagon spokesperson Major-General Pat Ryder also confirmed the claims made by the Ukrainian army, saying that the US government has found several “clues that North Korean troops had been killed and injured” in combat in Kursk.

 

According to South Korean, US, and Ukrainian intelligence, a total of 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deported to Russia to fight on the front lines against Ukrainian forces.

 

Experts say that North Korean troops are facing challenging conditions, along with a lack of battle experience and language barriers while conducting the operations.

 

A landmark mutual defence treaty, first signed in Pyongyang on June 19 during Russian President Putin’s state visit, obliges both countries to provide immediate military assistance to each other using “all means” necessary if either faces "aggression.”.

 

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to drag on, Moscow has more or less relied heavily on the recruitment of foreign fighters to maintain its number on the front lines.

 

Reports suggest that men from South Asian countries such as India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have gone to fight for Russia against Ukraine.

 

Russian media sources suggest that Moscow has lost approximately 71,000 soldiers, while Ukraine claims to have killed around 600,000 Russian soldiers.

 

However, these claims remained unverified, as Ukraine has often been accused of inflating the opposition casualty numbers to boost the morale of their troops on the ground.

 

Similarly, Russia’s Defence Ministry estimates that Kyiv has lost almost half a million troops, according to a report published in September by Russian media sources.