Approximately 600 North Korean soldiers reportedly perished in combat while fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, according to South Korean intelligence.
Here's a fresh take on the situation:
It's been revealed that about 600 North Korean soldiers have met their end in battle, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun. He shared this troubling news on April 30, basing his statement on intel briefings from South Korea's National Intelligence Service.
Lee, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, claims that North Korea's total casualties, including both dead and wounded, stand at approximately 4,700.
Despite an initially rough go and questionable equipment, North Korean troops seem to have stepped up their combat game over a six-month period. They've reportedly grown more adept using modern weapons, particularly drones, which have played a significant role in their warfare capabilities.
Lee shared this insight with reporters, stating, "After six months of participating in the war, the North Korean military has become less clumsy, and its combat capability has significantly improved as it becomes accustomed to using new weapons such as drones."
Russia's top military official, Valery Gerasimov, publicly acknowledged on April 26 that North Korean soldiers have been fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast to help Russian forces regain territory seized by Ukraine during a cross-border offensive in August 2024. Pyongyang followed suit soon after.
The operation aimed to disrupt Russian preparations for an assault on Sumy Oblast and divert Kremlin forces from the front lines in Donetsk Oblast. Kyiv and Seoul had earlier estimated that around 11,000 North Korean troops were initially deployed to the region, although Moscow had not officially confirmed their presence until now.
In exchange for troops and arms deliveries to Moscow, it appears Pyongyang has received Russian technical assistance on spy satellites, as well as drones and anti-air missiles, according to the South Korean intelligence assessment.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously reported that North Korean units fighting for Russia had suffered around 4,000 casualties, with roughly two-thirds of them killed.
On April 28, Russian state news agency TASS released footage allegedly showing North Korean soldiers training alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce accused North Korea of fueling the ongoing bloodshed in Ukraine due to its support for Russia's war effort. "North Korea's military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in return must end," Bruce stated.
She added that Russia's training of North Korean soldiers directly violates Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874, and 2270, which collectively impose a broad prohibition on providing or receiving military training or assistance to or from the DPRK.
- Valery Gerasimov, Russia's top military official, confirmed that North Korean soldiers have been participating in battles in Russia's Kursk Oblast, as reported by South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun.
- Lee shared with reporters that North Korean troops have improved their combat capability over a six-month period, with modern weapons like drones playing a significant role in their warfare capabilities.
- The South Korean intelligence assessment suggests that in exchange for troops and arms deliveries to Moscow, Pyongyang received Russian technical assistance on spy satellites, as well as drones and anti-air missiles.
- The United States State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, accused North Korea of fueling the ongoing bloodshed in Ukraine due to its support for Russia's war effort, stating that any military deployment or support provided by the Russian Federation to North Korea must end.
