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More than 6,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed or wounded while fighting in Russia’s Kursk region in support of Moscow’s war against Ukraine, according to British intelligence estimates.
The UK Ministry of Defence said in a social media post on Sunday that the casualties represent more than half of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops initially deployed to the area. The figures highlight North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s deepening military alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war enters its fourth year.
“Significant DPRK casualty rates have almost certainly been sustained primarily through large, highly attritional dismounted assaults,” the ministry said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. However, the statement did not provide supporting evidence for the assessment.
The figures have not been independently verified, and both Russia and Ukraine continue to withhold official casualty counts. North Korea, which only acknowledged the presence of its troops in Russia in April, has yet to disclose the size of its deployment or the extent of losses.
The UK’s estimate comes as Putin and Kim prepare to mark the first anniversary of their mutual defence treaty, which revived a Cold War-era pact. Since then, Pyongyang has emerged as a key supplier of munitions, missiles, and now manpower for Russia’s war effort.
Earlier this month, during a visit to Pyongyang by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu—his second in less than three months—Kim reaffirmed his country’s full support for Moscow. He pledged to “unconditionally support” Russia and its foreign policy positions on all major international issues.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, in a separate assessment released in April, estimated that North Korea had suffered around 4,700 casualties, including approximately 600 deaths. It also suggested Pyongyang may have sent up to 15,000 troops in two separate deployments to support Russian operations.
Team BharatShakti
