Ukraine's military intelligence agency and the Pentagon said Monday that some North Korean troops have been killed during combat against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk border region. These are the first reported casualties since the US and Ukraine announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war, reports the AP. Ukraine's military intelligence agency said around 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded during battle with the Ukrainian army over the weekend.
The casualties occurred around three villages in Kursk, where Russia has for four months been trying to quash a Ukrainian incursion, the agency, known by its acronym GUR, said in a Telegram post. At least three North Korean servicemen went missing around another Kursk village, GUR said. The White House also said it now believes North Korean troops are on the "front lines" of Russia's war and are "actively engaged in combat operations" against Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged unwavering support for Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor under a mutual defense pact. However, military analysts say the language barrier has bedeviled combat coordination between Russian and North Korean troops. "The poor integration and ongoing communication problems between Russian and North Korean forces will likely continue to cause friction in Russian military operations in Kursk," said the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.
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