North Korean soldiers killed and wounded in skirmishes with Ukrainian forces, Kyiv claims

North Korean units fighting for Moscow sustained losses of at least 30 soldiers killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk region over the weekend, Ukraine’s main military intelligence directorate (HUR) said on Monday.

This is the first time that Kyiv reported North Korean losses of this scale and in some detail. 

"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," the Ukrainian intelligence agency said in a statement, without providing evidence.

Following massive assaults over the past weekend, Ukrainian forces have also released images and videos of killed Russian and North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region.

Euronews could not independently verify these claims. 

HUR reported the losses following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that a "significant number" of North Korean soldiers have begun fighting alongside Russian forces in assault operations in Kursk. "The Russians include them in combined units and use them in operations in the Kursk region," he said.

North Korean troops have not yet joined Russian forces in any other areas of the front, but Zelenskyy said this could change. "And if this is not escalation, then what is the escalation that so many have been talking about," he asked.

The first clashes between North Korean and Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk were reported in early November. Zelensky stated on 1 December that North Korean soldiers had already been killed fighting for Russia but did not specify figures.

Ukrainian and Western officials estimate that over 10,000 North Korean troops had been amassed in Kursk, intended to help Russian forces in their push to kick Ukrainian forces out of Russia’s territory. 

North Korean troops opened fire on Russian unit, HUR claims

HUR further reported on Saturday that North Korean forces operating in Kursk recently fired at Chechen "Akhmat" Spetsnaz battalion vehicles and killed eight Chechen personnel in a friendly fire incident, likely caused by the language barrier between the two units.

HUR noted that the lack of ability to communicate effectively hinders combat coordination between the two troops.

Ukraine's Main Military Intelligence Directorate also said that the Russian military has established special protection protocols in places where North Korean personnel are located.

According to those, Russian soldiers must undergo inspections before entering these areas, and their phones and electronic devices are confiscated.