The losses represent over a third of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops deployed in Kursk Oblast. The high casualty rate has severely degraded the ability of North Korean forces to conduct offensive operations in support of Russia's attempts to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk Oblast.

North Korea is likely preparing to send additional troops to Russia after suffering heavy losses in battles against Ukrainian forces, South Korea's military said Friday.

UK Defence Intelligence has analysed that as of January 2025, North Korea has already lost about 4,000 military personnel in the Russian-Ukrainian war who took part in the fighting in Russiaʼs Kursk Oblast.

Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have indicated that the new deployment of North Korean troops will sustain the current pace of infantry assaults in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. However,

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) killed 21 North Korean soldiers who attacked Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region of Russia. "It lasted for more than eight hours," reported the SOF. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) killed 21 and wounded 40 North Korean soldiers who attacked Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region in western

The military did not specify the exact date of the battle but noted that Ukrainian infantry and snipers, equipped with small arms and grenade launchers, held off the North Korean army's advance on Ukrainian positions for over eight hours.

Operatives from Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces have killed 21 and wounded 40 North Korean soldiers who were advancing on Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Source: press service of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) Details: The operatives from the 8th SOF Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,