North Korean troops in Russia's army face heavy casualties in Kursk Oblast without armor support

North Korean military units fighting within the Russian army are experiencing substantial losses in Kursk Oblast, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.

Russian forces are sending North Korean troops into battle in Kursk Oblast without armored vehicle support, Kovalenko added.

"The tactic is as follows: North Koreans are gathered in plantations and driven to assault narrow sections from several directions simultaneously. The losses among them are significant," he reported.

Russian military correspondents are trying to avoid reporting on the failures of North Korean military units and are doing everything possible to portray their "successful actions" while concealing the losses.

According to intelligence data, last weekend, North Korean army units suffered significant losses in the areas of Plyokhovo, Vorozhba, and Martynovka in Kursk Oblast, with at least 30 soldiers killed and wounded. Additionally, at least three North Korean soldiers went missing near Kurilovka.

Intelligence reports indicate that in the wake of these losses, assault groups are being reinforced with fresh personnel, including from the 94th Separate Brigade of the North Korean army.

On November 19, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the contingent of North Korean troops near Ukraine's borders could increase to 100,000.

On December 14, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that North Korean soldiers had killed eight Russian Kadyrovites in a "friendly fire" incident.