Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv says its troops killed 30 North Korean soldiers in Kursk region

At least 30 North Korean soldiers, who Russia had deployed to its western Kursk region, were killed or wounded by Ukrainian troops, Kyiv said on Monday.

Thousands of North Korean troops, according to agency reports, have come to reinforce Russian forces, including in the Kursk border region that Ukraine has seized from Russian forces.

“On December 14 and 15, army units from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) suffered significant losses near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba, Martynovka in the Kursk region of Russia — at least 30 soldiers were killed and wounded,” Ukraine’s military intelligence told agencies.

According to Western officials, North Korea has sent at least 10,000 soldiers to help Moscow in the war against Ukraine.

Kyiv first said North Korean forces turned up in the Kursk region in October and later reported unspecified clashes and casualties.

North Korea initially dismissed reports about the troop deployment as “fake news”.

“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 the Kursk region,” Ukraine said.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has begun deploying “a noticeable number” of North Korean troops in assaults to push Ukrainian troops out of the Kursk region.

“The Russians include (North Koreans) in combined units and use them in operations in the Kursk region”, where Ukraine launched an incursion in August this year, he added.

Kursk region control

Ukraine, nearly a fifth of which is controlled by Moscow’s forces, has carved out an enclave in the Kursk region, which its troops have been battling to hold as a potential bargaining chip for any potential peace negotiations.

Last week, Russia’s defence ministry said its troops recaptured some small settlements in the Kursk region.

Kyiv controls 800 square kilometres of territory in the Kursk region, down from previous claims of around 1,400 square kilometres, according to a November report by the news agency AFP, citing a source.