North Korean forces have suffered significant casualties during offensive operations against Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, with the numbers of killed and wounded reaching 4,000 by mid-January, according to the British Ministry of Defence’s report on X (Twitter).
The report said the total casualty rate to more than a third of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops that originally deployed to the region with around a quarter of these being soldiers killed in action.
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The UK’s intelligence assessment is that the high casualty rate is “almost certainly” hindering the North Koreans’ ability to effectively undertake offensive combat operations, that, in turn, undermines their support for Russia’s attempts to push Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region.
Along with these losses, DPRK forces have achieved only limited tactical successes. The report highlights significant challenges in coordination between Russian and North Korean forces.
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“The two forces do not share a common language, and DPRK troops almost certainly have difficulties integrating themselves into Russia’s command-and-control structure,” the report says.
A separate report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimates that at current rates all of the North Korean soldiers that were deployed to the Kursk region could be killed or wounded by mid-April.
Since their deployment in early December, Pyongyang’s troops have been suffering an average of 92 casualties per day. In early January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that around 3,800 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded.
According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed, and another 2,700 had been injured as of Jan. 13.
The report adds that as is typical in combat North Korean forces are likely to experience a higher number of wounded compared to those killed, which is typical in combat and it is unclear if or when the wounded would be able to return to the battlefield.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky described North Korean troops as “highly motivated, well-trained, and brave” in a TSN interview, citing their relentless assaults with little armored support, often through minefields and direct fire.
According to The New York Times (NYT), these tactics highlight both their determination and poor coordination with Russian forces, who use Pyongyang’s elite soldiers as cannon fodder.
Despite their persistence, North Korean troops avoid securing positions, leaving that to Russian forces. They also evacuate their wounded - a notable contrast to their Russian counterparts - but are reportedly instructed to commit suicide to avoid capture.
Russian forces actively prevent their capture, even targeting them with drones to kill both captives and Ukrainian troops, according to Ukrainian platoon commander Oleksiy.
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