The existence of North Koreans on Russia’s side has neither been confirmed or refuted.
More than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed and injured in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who also issued a warning that Pyongyang may deploy additional troops and supplies for Moscow’s army.
Zelenskyy stated on X on Monday that “there are risks of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army,” following a report from Oleksandr Syrskyi, his senior military commander.
“We will have tangible responses to this,” he stated.
Compared to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), which reported on Monday that at least 1,100 North Korean personnel had been killed or injured, the estimate of North Korean losses is greater.
The assessment was consistent with a briefing given by South Korea’s intelligence service last week, which stated that there were approximately 100 fatalities and 1,000 injuries in the area.
He mentioned preliminary statistics, Zelenskyy stated. Reports on fighting losses could not be independently verified by Reuters.
The existence of North Koreans on Russia’s side has neither been confirmed or refuted. A North Korean official has stated that any force deployment would be legal, despite Pyongyang’s earlier dismissal of the reports as “fake news.”
An estimated 12,000 North Korean troops have been transported to Russia, according to estimates from Ukraine and allies.
Some of them have been sent to fight in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine still controls a portion of territory following a significant cross-border invasion in August.
In addition to the 170mm self-propelled howitzers and 240mm multiple rocket launchers that are currently in supply, JCS said it has seen indications that Pyongyang is trying to develop suicide drones to be sent to Russia.
Kiev says the transfer of military technologies and war experience between Pyongyang and Moscow poses a worldwide threat and is continuing to pressure partners for a more robust reaction.
“For the world, the cost of restoring stability is always much higher than the cost of effectively pressuring those who destabilize the situation and destroy lives,” Zelenskyy stated.
