South Korea: At least 100 North Koreans died in the Ukraine war

A South Korean lawmaker said at least 100 North Korean soldiers have died in the war in Ukraine since joining the war on Russia’s side earlier this month.

Lee Sung-kwon, speaking to reporters after Congress was briefed by the National Intelligence Agency, said another 1,000 people were injured.

He said the number of casualties included high-ranking officials and could be explained by the military’s lack of understanding of the terrain and drone warfare.

The first reports of North Korean casualties came earlier this week. In October, it was reported that North Korea had sent 10,000 troops to help Russia’s war effort.

On Monday, a Pentagon spokesman said North Koreans had died without giving a number, and a day later, an unnamed US official said “several hundred” people were killed or injured. love.

The BBC has not independently verified the claims.

North Korean troops, none of whom had previous combat experience, reportedly spent their first weeks in Russia training and then played a support role.

The casualties are believed to have occurred in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainians were defending a small area of ​​territory captured in an attack. surprise break-in in August.

Last Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had begun using “a significant number” of North Koreans in attacks in Kursk.

They are not believed to be deployed in Ukraine, where Russian troops have advanced into eastern regions of the country in recent months.

Lee Sung-kwon said there were reports of preparations for additional deployments and that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could oversee the training.

He quoted intelligence officials as saying the high number of casualties could be due to “the unfamiliar battlefield environment, where North Korean forces are being used as expendable front-line strike units and They have no ability to defend against drone attacks.”

“In the Russian military, there have been complaints that the North Korean military, due to its lack of knowledge about drones, has become more of a burden than an asset,” he added.

Neither Russia nor North Korea acknowledged the deployment, but a North Korean statement on Thursday carried by state news agency KCNA said the country’s alliance with Moscow was “preventing the expansion of its influence.” deliberate influence of the US and the West”.