North Korean forces have suffered “a number of hundred” casualties combating in opposition to Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk area, a senior U.S. navy official stated Tuesday.
Pyongyang has despatched hundreds of troops to bolster Russia’s struggle effort, together with to the Kursk border area, the place Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this 12 months.
“Several hundred casualties is our newest estimate that the DPRK has suffered,” the official stated on situation of anonymity, utilizing an abbreviation for North Korea’s official title.
This “would come with every part from… gentle wounds as much as being KIA [killed in action],” the official stated, with troopers of “all ranks” among the many casualties.
“These will not be battle-hardened troops. They have not been in fight earlier than,” the official stated, including that this was doubtless contributing to “why they’ve been struggling the casualties that they’ve by the hands of the Ukrainians.”
The official’s feedback on casualties got here after Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky stated Russia has used North Korean troops on the coronary heart of an “intensive offensive” in Kursk over a number of days.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened their navy ties since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark protection pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June got here into drive earlier this month.
