Forbes writes about the situation of Kim Jong Un’s soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, quoting Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to Ukraine’s president, almost a third of the soldiers sent by North Korea to fight the Ukrainians were killed or wounded. This information was also confirmed by Estonia’s Director of Defense Intelligence, Colonel Antu Kiviserg.
By mid-January, 3.8 of the 12,000 men were killed, wounded, or, less likely, taken prisoner. According to Zelenskyy, the North Korean military command is doing everything possible to hide all information about Ukraine’s participation in the war, so they usually kill the wounded. Sometimes when they are hurt, they decide to take their own life.
North Korean soldier dies in Russia. New data on losses
North Korean soldiers reached Russian territory in October 2024. In addition to them, there are also equipment such as anti-tank vehicles and rocket launchers. As we read, about 48,000 Russians were to be joined by 12,000 Kim Jong Un fighters in Kursk.
The impact of the counterattack by the Russian and North Korean forces is small, and the losses are high, but this does not mean that the North Korean army is a bad fighter. According to Ukrainian soldier Volodymyr Demchenko, they have undergone “perfect marksmanship training.”
Demchenko points out that many more North Korean soldiers would have died had they not shot down so many Ukrainian military drones.
However, infantry attacks from the north are most often deprived of support from armored vehicles, but this is not limited to these fighters. Russia has the same problem. Ukrainian drones are preventing tanks from reaching the front lines. Vehicles collide from miles away. The entire burden of combat falls on the infantry.
War in Ukraine. Fierce fighting in Russia’s Kursk region
Forbes estimates that if things continue as they are, the Korean People’s Army’s 11th Corps may need reinforcements in the near future. It is currently unclear whether North Korea has committed to sending more troops to Russia. “However, the regime is certainly motivated to continue sending personnel,” the authors said, noting that Russia is returning the favor with key military technology.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Ukrainian military announced it had captured another group of enemy soldiers. According to AFP news agency, 27 military personnel were scheduled to be detained in the Kursk region. “Aware that they were in a difficult situation, they made the right decision and voluntarily surrendered,” the statement said.
Ukrainians also reported that the fighters came from various parts of Russia and from Crimea, which Moscow illegally occupies.
Kidawa-Bunska to Trzaskowski? “I can’t imagine”/Porsat News/Porsat News
