Approximately 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed in Russia’s Kursk region while fighting Ukraine on Vladimir Putin’s behalf, officials say.
Anonymous Western sources told the BBC that, as of mid-January, there have been 4,000 casualties among the 11,000-strong contingency who were sent to help Putin’s troops fight off Ukraine’s attack in the Russian region of Kursk.
The overall casualty rate – a stat which includes those killed, wounded, missing or captured – is allegedly 36% among the North Korean troops.
That’s much higher than the previous estimates from South Korea’s spy agency, which claimed around 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed in the war and 2,700 have been injured.
Officials also told the broadcaster that it’s not clear where the soldiers are being treated, or if they will be replaced.
Russia has not confirmed or denied North Korean troops are fighting alongside its own since they were first deployed in autumn.
Putin arranged a mutual defence agreement with his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un last summer, and both countries agreed to defend the other if attacked by a third party.
It’s thought Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk in August was seen as an attack on Russia – so Putin was able to call on North Korean troops to bolster his beleaguered army to defend the region.
Putin has been ploughing through his own soldiers, forcing them forwards on the frontline using what UK prime minister Keir Starmer described as “meat-grinder” tactics.
The UK’s ministry of defence said earlier this month Russia is estimated to have suffered more than 790,000 casualties since the war began.
The MoD also warned that North Korean – also known as DPRK – troops were struggling to integrate with their Russian peers.
The intelligence officers said: “Russian and DPRK forces are almost certainly experiencing interoperability difficulties.
“The two forces do not share a common language and DPRK troops almost certainly have difficulties integrating into Russia’s command and control structure.”
North Korean troops have “highly likely sustained significant combat casualties” already and “only achieved tactical gains”, the intelligence claimed in the latest update on X.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed earlier this month that his troops had seized two North Korean soldiers in Kursk for the first time.
He offered a prisoner swap, hoping to secure the release of Ukrainians held by Russia.
“Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he can organise their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia,” Zelenskyy said.