A couple hundred troops from North Korea who are reportedly engaging alongside Russian military forces in the conflict against Ukraine have sustained injuries or fatalities in the Kursk region, as indicated by a high-ranking military official on Tuesday.
Although specific numbers of North Korean casualties were not disclosed, the official noted that these forces seem to lack substantial combat experience, a factor attributed to their higher casualty rates. This announcement marks the first significant evaluation of North Korean losses, following Ukraine’s reports that between 10,000 and 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russian operations in the ongoing war, which has persisted for nearly three years.
Both the White House and the Pentagon affirmed on Monday that North Korean troops had been engaged in frontline combat, primarily in infantry roles. They have been operating in conjunction with Russian units and, at times, independently in the vicinity of Kursk.
This revelation regarding casualties coincides with the Biden administration’s urgency to supply military assistance to Ukraine before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. However, a senior official from the Defense Department indicated to reporters that it might not be feasible to allocate all of the remaining $5.6 billion in weapons and equipment earmarked for Ukraine before Trump assumes office on January 20.
These officials, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, offered insights related to U.S. assessments of the conflict. As per the Pentagon, approximately $1.2 billion remains in longer-term funding via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, aimed at financing weapon contracts that may not be delivered for a year or longer. The official expressed the expectation that all available funds would be disbursed by the end of this year.
The $5.6 billion fund falls under presidential drawdown authority, enabling the Pentagon to quickly send weapons to Ukraine from existing inventories. This amount is deemed significant, and while assistance to Ukraine is set to continue until January 20, there may be residual funds that the new Trump administration could utilize.
Trump has previously discussed the possibility of negotiating a settlement between Ukraine and Russia, stirring some concerns regarding his commitment to fully support Ukraine with the funding approved by Congress.
Intense battles have been ongoing between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the Kursk area, with officials reporting that Russia has regained roughly 20% of the territory previously seized by Kyiv. They mentioned that Ukraine is likely to maintain control over this ground for an extended period, contingent upon the broader progression of the conflict, including Kyiv’s long-range attack capabilities.
It remains uncertain if Russia has sought further military support from North Korea, though it has been acknowledged that Moscow continues to endure significant daily troop losses, totaling approximately 1,200 when considering both fatalities and injuries. Nonetheless, Russia has managed to replace these casualties with sufficient new forces.
