'Both killed and wounded': Pentagon confirms North Korean losses in Kursk region for first time

The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that North Korean troops, fighting alongside Russian forces, have suffered casualties in the Kursk region for the first time, according to Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder, as reported by Reuters.

According to him, the casualties include both killed and wounded personnel.

Ryder added that he has no details on the number of North Korean losses but noted that this marks the first combat involvement of North Korean troops, which occurred last week.

Previously, on December 14, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared preliminary reports that Russia had started deploying North Korean troops in assaults in the Kursk region. He mentioned that there is a "noticeable number" of North Korean soldiers being integrated into joint units, and they are already experiencing "significant losses."

Ukraine's military intelligence reported that as of December 14, joint Russian-North Korean units in the Kursk region had suffered approximately 200 casualties. Additionally, North Korean troops reportedly killed eight Chechen fighters in a "friendly fire" incident. Overall, the agency estimates around 11,000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed in Russia.

There are also video confirmations of North Korean troop losses in the Kursk region. For instance, footage showing corpses was shared by Birds of Magyar brigade commander Robert Brovdi, though the video includes graphic content and explicit language.