KYIV, Ukraine – Recent reports from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, along with the Pentagon, indicate that North Korean soldiers have suffered casualties in skirmishes with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region near the Russian border. This is the first indication of fatalities since it was disclosed that North Korea had dispatched between 10,000 to 12,000 troops to support Russia in the ongoing conflict that has now persisted for nearly three years.
According to a public statement made on the Telegram messaging app by Ukraine’s military intelligence, approximately 30 North Korean personnel were either killed or wounded during engagements with Ukrainian troops over the past weekend. These incidents reportedly took place in three villages within Kursk, where Russian forces have been actively trying to suppress a Ukrainian advance for the last four months.
Furthermore, the assessment noted that at least three North Korean servicemen have gone missing in another village in the Kursk area, escalating concerns over the involvement of North Korean troops in frontline operations. The White House also acknowledged that North Korean troops are now positioned on the front lines and are engaged in combat against Ukrainian forces, as confirmed by National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. Kirby remarked that these troops have shifted from supportive roles to direct combat operations and emphasized that they have been experiencing casualties as a result.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, confirmed that North Korean troops had indeed experienced fatalities in Kursk but did not provide precise numbers. He mentioned that these soldiers have primarily been utilized in infantry capacities and began participating in combat operations about a week prior to the announcement. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov directed inquiries about these developments to the Russian Ministry of Defense, which has not yet provided a comment.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged unwavering support for Russia amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a commitment backed by a mutual defense agreement. This alliance has shifted the terrain of international relations, as Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted rising threats stemming from the proposed deployment of U.S. intermediate-range missiles to Europe and Asia. In a meeting with senior military leaders, Putin emphasized the need for additional measures to bolster the security of Russia and its allies while aiming to avoid escalation into an arms race.
Despite the alliance, military analysts suggest that the language barrier continues to hinder effective coordination between Russian and North Korean troops, which may exacerbate difficulties faced by Russian military operations in the Kursk region. A report from the Institute for the Study of War anticipated that communication challenges will likely cause ongoing friction in these operations.
On November 5, Ukrainian officials announced that their forces had engaged North Korean military units for the first time, which had been recently deployed to cooperate with Russian forces. Last August, Ukraine made significant advances into the Kursk region, marking the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II—a maneuver that embarrassed the Kremlin and sought to counteract unfavorable news from the front lines.
Despite Ukraine’s territorial gains, experts suggest that the overall dynamics of the war have not shifted significantly. Russia has largely maintained the initiative throughout the past year, except in Kursk, while continuing its aggressive push into eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region despite incurring heavy losses. However, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov claimed on Monday that the military has been consistently making progress in Ukraine, reporting accelerated advances with territorial captures averaging about 30 square kilometers (11.5 square miles) each day.
