Ukraine's Special Operations Forces reported killing 50 North Korean soldiers and injuring 47 others during three days of fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the unit announced on December 17.
The Special Operations Forces released footage showing first-person-view (FPV) drones successfully targeting soldiers and equipment on the battlefield.
Reports suggest that Russia has deployed over 10,000 North Korean troops to assist in combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast since early August.
"Soldiers of the 8th Special Forces Regiment of Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich organized a warm welcome for North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast," the unit wrote on Facebook.
The statement also claimed that two armored vehicles, two cars, and one all-terrain vehicle were destroyed during the fighting.
The Kyiv Independent noted that it could not independently verify all the claims.
North Korean Troops in Combat
Following earlier reports of limited engagements with North Korean troops in November, Ukrainian officials said over the weekend that Russia had begun deploying North Korean forces in ground assaults.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) reported that during assaults on December 14-15, 30 North Korean soldiers were killed or injured.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that the full extent of North Korean casualties might be difficult to confirm, as Russia is allegedly trying to conceal the losses.
On December 16, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed that North Korean personnel had been engaged in combat operations alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast and had suffered their first casualties.
