Seoul: North Korea has suffered more than 6,000 casualties in its military engagements against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, as reported by Britain's defense ministry. This figure represents over half of the troops initially deployed by Pyongyang.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the British ministry communicated this assessment via an X post on Sunday, updating a previous estimate from two months prior which recorded over 5,000 North Korean troop casualties in the Kursk region as of early April. The total number of casualties now exceeds half of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops originally sent to the area. These casualties have largely resulted from dismounted assaults characterized by high attrition rates.
The ministry further indicated that North Korea's military activities have been limited to the Kursk region. Any extension into Ukrainian territory would likely require authorization from Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. After the initial deployment of 11,000 troops to Russia last year, North Korea is reported to have dispatched an additional 3,000 soldiers to Kursk this year, as noted by South Korea's military.
The National Intelligence Service informed lawmakers in late April that North Korea had experienced around 4,700 casualties, including approximately 600 fatalities.