Ukraine claims North Korean troops were killed as they fought alongside Russian forces

Ukrainian forces clash with North Korean troops in Kursk, causing casualties, amid ongoing conflict with Russia.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency claimed Monday (December 16, 2024) that around 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded in fighting against the Ukrainian Army at the weekend in Russia’s Kursk border region.

The North Korean 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 public post on the Telegram messaging app.

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At least three North Korean servicemen went missing around another Kursk village, GUR said.

It was not possible to independently verify the Ukrainian claims, which are the first reports of North Korean casualties in the almost 3-year war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions about the claims to the Russian Defense Ministry, which didn’t comment.

North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to help it in the war, according to the Pentagon and Ukrainian officials.