Camilla Jessen
North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia’s Kursk region face severe casualties and limited battlefield success.
North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia’s Kursk region are reportedly experiencing severe casualties and demonstrating low battlefield effectiveness, according to a statement from Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing on December 30.
Singh confirmed that the attacks carried out by North Korean troops in the region have shown limited success, with substantial losses reported.
“We agree with the White House’s recent assessment regarding the number of North Korean casualties sustained in battles against Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region,” Singh stated.
High Casualty Numbers
Singh cited the Department of Defense’s estimate, which aligns with a White House report indicating approximately 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region over the past week.
“The White House recently announced that approximately 1,000 [North Korean] soldiers have either been killed or wounded in the Kursk region. That’s our assessment as well,” Singh said during the briefing.
This aligns with a previous statement by White House spokesperson John Kirby on December 27, who also reported 1,000 North Korean casualties—both killed and wounded—over the past week, based on U.S. intelligence, as reported by Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier announced on December 23 that North Korean troops deployed to support Russian forces in the Kursk region suffered over 3,000 casualties, including both killed and wounded.