Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of using North Korean troops as “cannon fodder” in its ongoing conflict. He emphasized that concrete evidence is required to assess North Korean casualties accurately.
During an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News at the presidential palace in Kyiv on December 1, Zelenskyy addressed North Korean forces supporting Russia. He reported that these troops have been deployed to western Russia, where some have already been killed in action. Zelenskyy asserted they will ultimately serve as cannon fodder on the front lines.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced in October that North Korea had dispatched troops to support Russia, with these forces undergoing training in eastern Russia. The South Korean Ministry of Defense further disclosed on November 5 that over 10,000 North Korean troops had been sent to Russia, with a significant number moving to frontline positions, including the Kursk region. In a report to the National Assembly on November 19, the NIS estimated the number of deployed North Korean troops to be between 10,900 and 12,000.
In the interview on December 1, Zelenskyy did not specifically mention casualties among North Korean troops. He stated that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed in Kursk and stressed the need for evidence to report casualties accurately. Zelenskyy also said that more North Korean troops would be deployed to the front lines, emphasizing that Putin is clearly using them as expendable forces.
Citing the U.S. military publication Global Defense Corporation, Ukrainian media outlets reported on November 23 that 500 North Korean troops stationed in Kursk had been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike. On November 20, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched 12 British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles at a military command headquarters in Marino, Kursk, located about 32 kilometers from the front lines.
Sabrina Singh, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary in the U.S. Department of Defense, stated during a briefing held on November 25 that they could not verify these reports. Singh added that the U.S. could not independently confirm casualties among North Korean soldiers.
On November 27, an anonymous U.S. Defense Department official told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that North Korean casualties had occurred in Russia’s Kursk region, caused by Ukrainian airstrikes. The official clarified that the North Korean troops deployed to Kursk are not serving as frontline infantry but rather in support roles.
