North Korean forces have likely lost over 6,000 troops during offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.
This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defence on social media platform X, citing intelligence data, according to Ukrinform.
According to British intelligence, total losses amount to more than half of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops that were initially deployed to Kursk region. Open-source reports indicate that North Korea has since deployed a limited number of additional troops to the area, the report states.
“Significant DPRK casualty rates have almost certainly been sustained primarily through large, highly attritional dismounted assaults,” the report notes.
Intelligence sources also recalled that on June 4, Russia’s Security Council Secretary and former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited DPRK to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This marked Shoigu’s second visit to the country in less than three months.
“Shoigu has highly likely been a key interlocutor with DPRK regarding DPRK’s support to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. DPRK operations have thus far been confined to the Kursk region. Any decision to deploy into internationally recognized, sovereign Ukrainian territory in support of Russian forces, would almost certainly require sign-off from both Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un,” the report states.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, North Korea is using the war in Ukraine as a platform to test its military capabilities.
Recently, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov stated that around 11,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia’s Kursk region.
Source: DPRK’s casualty toll in Russia’s Kursk region over 6K, UK intelligence says
