North Korean soldiers are enduring significant casualties while fighting on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine. In the past week alone, around 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed or injured in Russia’s Kursk region, White House spokesperson John Kirby revealed on Friday.
This figure is notably higher than any previously disclosed by U.S. officials. Kirby described the situation, saying, “Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable, sending them on hopeless assaults against fortified Ukrainian defenses.” He characterized the North Korean offensive tactics as “massed, dismounted assaults.”
Neither North Korea’s United Nations mission in New York nor Russia’s U.N. delegation responded to requests for comment.
“Significant Losses” and Minimal Protection
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the “very significant” losses sustained by North Korean forces, accusing Russian forces of providing them with minimal protection.
“It is evident that both the Russian military and their North Korean commanders have no regard for the survival of these soldiers,” Zelenskyy said. He also mentioned reports of North Korean troops being executed by their own forces if captured or unable to advance.
Zelenskyy added that while Ukrainian forces had taken some North Korean soldiers as prisoners, they were critically injured, and efforts to save their lives were unsuccessful. He urged that North Korean lives should not be sacrificed in a war in Europe.
Call for Action from China
The Ukrainian president also called on China to pressure Pyongyang to withdraw its involvement if it is genuinely committed to preventing the war from escalating.
Escalating Death Toll
On Monday, Zelenskyy reported that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in the Kursk region, citing preliminary data. A U.S. military official also stated on December 17 that North Korea had suffered hundreds of casualties in the same area.
When questioned about the ranks of those killed or injured, the official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the losses ranged from lower-level troops to individuals near the top of the command structure.
U.S. Assistance to Ukraine
Kirby also noted that President Joe Biden is likely to approve another security assistance package for Ukraine in the coming days. Earlier this week, Biden condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities during the Christmas period, instructing the Defense Department to accelerate the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
Reuters could not independently verify the reported combat losses or accounts from either side.