South Korea names its conservative estimate of North Korean troop losses in Russia
At least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed and around 1,000 injured in clashes with Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, as reported by Reuters.
Lee, citing data from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), attributed the heavy losses of North Korean units to their lack of experience with drones and the challenges of conducting military operations in open terrain, to which they are unaccustomed.
He also noted that South Korean intelligence estimates might differ from statements by U.S. military officials, who report several hundred casualties due to a more cautious approach to data analysis.
"There was a report that there have been at least 100 deaths and the injured are approaching 1,000," Lee said.
According to estimates by U.S. and South Korean authorities, Russia has already received over 10,000 North Korean military personnel to participate in the war. Additionally, Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with over 10,000 containers of artillery shells, anti-tank missiles, mechanized howitzers, and rocket systems.
On November 19, 2024, 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 of their commanders in "friendly fire" incidents.
On December 16, the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council revealed the tactics of North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast: they are amassed in plantations and driven to assault narrow sections from multiple directions simultaneously.
