North Korean losses on Russia’s Kursk front are reported by Ukraine

The statement from the Ukrainian military spy agency came after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Russia was attacking Kursk with large groups of North Korean troops for the first time. This is in a Russian area where Ukraine crossed the border in August.

This is the first time that Kyiv has said that North Korea has lost this much and in this much depth. It said that the deaths happened in the Kursk region, near the towns of Plekhovo, Vorozhba, and Martynovka. It didn’t show any proof.

It wasn’t possible to check the numbers on your own.

The Ukrainian claim was not addressed by the Kremlin. Instead, the question was sent to the Russian Defense Ministry, which has not responded.

Russia hasn’t said for sure or not that North Koreans are on its side. Reports of the troops’ deployment were first called “fake news” by Pyongyang, but a North Korean official has said that any such deployment would be legal.

“Due to the losses, the assault groups are being replenished with fresh personnel, in particular from the 94th separate brigade of the DPRK army, to continue active combat operations in Kursk region,” the Ukrainian agency said.

At first, Kyiv said that North Korean troops showed up in Russia’s Kursk region in October. Later, it said that there had been unspecified fighting and deaths. It thinks there are 11,000 North Koreans in the force, which already has tens of thousands of Russians.

About 20% of Ukraine is held by Moscow’s forces. To use as a bargaining chip in any possible peace talks, Ukraine’s troops have been fighting to hold on to an enclave in the Kursk region.