Kyiv Reports Approximately 200 Russian and North Korean Troops Killed in Combat with Ukraine
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Seoul, Dec 16 (NationPress) An estimated 200 soldiers from Russia and North Korea have reportedly lost their lives while participating in joint operations against Ukrainian forces, as stated by Kyiv's intelligence agencies, which did not provide specific casualty figures for either side.
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) disclosed this information through a statement, highlighting that North Korean troops have been deployed for assault missions within mixed units of Russia's Marine Corps and airborne forces, according to a report by Yonhap news agency on Monday.
The DIU indicated that North Korean forces have experienced 'irreversible losses' due to Ukrainian attacks, pointing out that the language barrier poses challenges for Russian and North Korean units in executing coordinated actions.
As a result of this communication issue, North Korean troops reportedly opened 'friendly fire' on vehicles belonging to the Ahmat battalion, leading to the deaths of eight soldiers affiliated with Kadyrov, which refers to Chechen fighters.
Additionally, the Ukrainian military has released images and videos showing numerous North Korean soldiers who were killed alongside Russian forces in the Kursk border region of Russia, according to a report by a Ukrainian media outlet.
Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sunday, citing sources from a drone unit, that the deceased soldiers, whose bodies were covered in snow, were killed during assaults in the Russian region adjacent to Ukraine on Saturday (local time).
The Madiar channel highlighted that this operation involved FPV (first-person view) drone pilots from the 414th Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Regiment, the Mahura Brigade, the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, the 1st Tank Brigade, and the 17th Tank Brigade, as reported by the outlet.
Verification of the drone unit's post shared on their Telegram channel was not immediately possible.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked that Russia might expand the deployment of North Korean soldiers to other areas along the front line.
We have preliminary information indicating that the Russians have begun utilizing North Korean troops in their assaults, a considerable number of them, Zelenskyy stated in an address.
He added, The Russians are incorporating them into combined units and employing them in operations within the Kursk region. Currently, this is limited to that area, but we possess intelligence suggesting their use may extend to other frontline sectors.
South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of dispatching thousands of soldiers to Russia, with some reportedly engaging in combat in the western Kursk border region.
