Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded while fighting against Ukraine’s incursion in Russia’s Kursk region. The announcement comes as it was reported that North Korea has sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Russian military, including in the Kursk border region where Ukraine carried out a surprise border incursion in August.
According to Zelensky, the number of North Korean soldiers killed and wounded in the Kursk region has already exceeded 3,000, citing preliminary data. South Korea earlier reported that around 1,100 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded since entering combat in December.
Zelensky expressed concerns about the growing cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, stating that it leads to a proportional increase in the risk of destabilization around the Korean Peninsula and in neighboring regions or waters. He urged the world to understand this reality, following a report from army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky on the situation in the Kursk region. Zelensky also warned of risks of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army.