North Korean troops killed in combat against Ukraine for the first time, Pentagon says

Meduza.io

North Korean troops have engaged in combat alongside Russian forces for the first time and have suffered casualties, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder said on Monday.

“We do assess that North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat in Kursk, with Russia, alongside Russian forces. We do have indications that they have suffered casualties, both killed and wounded,” Ryder said at a press briefing, according to Reuters.

He added that he had no details on the number of casualties but said that North Korean forces had first joined the fighting last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke about North Korean soldiers’ involvement in battles in the Kursk region, citing information from Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi:

According to preliminary information, the Russians are trying to conceal the losses among the North Koreans. Ukraine’s armed forces and intelligence are working to uncover the full extent of the actual losses among the Russian units that now include North Koreans. Unfortunately, we have to defend ourselves against them too, even though there’s absolutely no reason for North Koreans to be dying in this war.

Russia and North Korea

• Russia’s top general and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman discuss ATACMS, Oreshnik, and North Korean troops in rare phone call — NYT
• North Korea has given Russia 100 artillery systems — Forbes
• Russian defense minister visits North Korea to meet with military and political leaders
• Friends with (strategic) benefits Troops and missiles for oil and bears: What Russia gets from North Korea, and what Pyongyang receives in return