At least 100 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia have been killed in the Ukraine war, and around 1,000 have been wounded, says parliamentarian Lee Sung-kwon, who was briefed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service behind closed doors on Thursday.
“In December, they participated in actual fighting where at least 100 people died. The intelligence service also reports that the number of wounded is expected to be almost 1,000,” says Lee.
He further says that the losses can be attributed to a lack of experience with drone combat, and that the North Korean soldiers are unfamiliar with the open terrain where the fighting takes place.
Earlier this week, US military sources told several news agencies that several hundred North Koreans have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been leading an offensive since August.