Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Monday (December 23) that over 3,000 soldiers sent by North Korea to Russia for the Russia-Ukraine war have been killed or injured. At the same time, South Korea discovered signs of North Korea increasing its military presence and weapons support to Russia.
According to Radio Free Asia, after a briefing by Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on the battle involving Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of Russia, Zelenskyy made the above statement on the social media platform Telegram.
Zelenskyy said, “According to preliminary information, over 3,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region have been killed or injured.”
He warned that North Korea may increase personnel and weapons support to Russia. He criticized world leaders for being “almost inactive” in curbing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
He stated, “It is risky for North Korea to send more soldiers and military equipment to Russian forces.” He vowed to provide a “tangible response” to any such actions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean military also disclosed the casualties of North Korean soldiers supporting Russia on Monday. Based on various intelligence sources, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff believe that at least 1,100 North Korean soldiers have been casualties. Against this backdrop, North Korea is still preparing to increase its military presence.
The South Korean military also found that North Korea provided weapons to Russia such as 240mm multiple rocket launchers, 170mm self-propelled guns, and is preparing to supply suicide drones.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that North Korea is trying to deplete old weapons by participating in the Russia-Ukraine war, accumulate combat experience on the battlefield, and modernize its conventional warfare capabilities, posing a military threat to South Korea.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) released photos on Sunday (December 22) purportedly showing North Korean soldiers killed in action in the Kursk region, while also uploading alleged forged Russian military identity documents.
The SSO stated on Telegram, “Russia is attempting to conceal the presence of North Korean military personnel by issuing forged documents to North Korea.”
Last week, Zelenskyy referenced a video clip as evidence, stating that Russian forces were burning the faces of deceased North Korean soldiers to conceal their identities and keep the secret of their support for Russia in the conflict with Ukraine.