Heavy Casualties of North Korean Soldiers in Russia's War with Ukraine

A senior official from the U.S. Department of Defense, Pentagon, described the human casualties of North Korean soldiers in the Ukraine war as 'heavy', including 'several hundred' killed and wounded. Previously, the U.S. Department of Defense had officially confirmed reports of the deaths of several North Korean soldiers sent to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. This unnamed senior Pentagon official told some Western media that it seems the North Korean forces dispatched to Russia lack battlefield experience and have suffered heavy casualties. According to the Pentagon official, the casualties among North Korean forces include soldiers 'from newly enlisted ranks to high command levels'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also released a video two days ago showing that Russian forces appear to be 'burning the faces of dead North Korean soldiers' in the 'Kursk' region to conceal evidence of their presence on the battlefield. Zelensky wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that there is no reason for North Korean citizens to participate in the war, and even after their deaths, their bodies are subjected to 'disrespect and mockery' by the Russians. Earlier, Western sources reported in October that 10,000 to 12,000 North Korean military personnel had been dispatched to Russia. Ukraine, along with some Western countries, claims that these forces have currently been sent to the Kursk region of Russia, which was captured by the Ukrainian army during a surprise attack earlier this year. The presence of North Korean soldiers on the battlefields within Ukraine has not yet been confirmed. Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence agencies say that North Korean soldiers, who had been acting as support forces in recent weeks, entered the battlefield last week and suffered casualties in battles in three villages in Kursk. Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, signed a mutual defense treaty with Russia in June of this year and even began sending thousands of soldiers to Russia for participation in the battle against Ukraine a month before its approval in the Russian Duma last month. The Associated Press reported, citing informed sources, that 1,200 Russian army personnel are killed or wounded daily in the war in Ukraine, but the Kremlin currently has no issues replacing them with new forces. The Pentagon official also did not clarify whether Russia has requested more forces from North Korea. The Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense have avoided responding to Western media inquiries about the casualties of North Korean forces.