Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that Russian and North Korean forces suffered heavy losses during battles near Makhnovka in Russia’s Kursk region, with casualties amounting to “up to a battalion of infantry” in just two days. Zelenskyy estimated that approximately 3,800 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in the fighting.
According to Ukraine and the United States, up to 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russia’s war efforts, although both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied these claims.
“In battles today and yesterday near just one village – Makhnovka in the Kursk region – the Russian army lost up to a battalion of infantry, including North Korean soldiers and Russian paratroopers. And that’s tangible,” Zelenskyy stated during his nightly address on Saturday.
While Zelenskyy did not clarify whether the losses included only deaths or also injuries, he emphasized the scale of the casualties during an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, saying, “North Korea. Just look at this example, 12,000 have arrived. Today 3,800 killed or wounded.”
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (DIU) has highlighted the deteriorating morale of North Korean soldiers in Kursk, citing outdated weapons, insufficient medical supplies, and a lack of proper rations. Ukrainian special operations sergeant Mykhailo Makaruk noted that the troops were equipped with “bullshit grenades” and subpar medical kits, further compounding their struggles.
Zelenskyy also accused Russian forces of burning the faces of deceased North Korean soldiers to obscure their identities and conceal their involvement in the conflict. He cited a video as evidence, though independent verification of the footage has not been possible.
Reports indicate that a senior North Korean military officer was dispatched to Kursk to investigate the high casualty rate, leading to a temporary suspension of combat activities involving North Korean troops. However, fighting has since resumed.
Despite the significant losses, there has been no indication of additional North Korean troop deployments, according to Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. “We’re not seeing more being sent, but that doesn’t mean they won’t send more in the future,” she said.
This development comes amid claims that junior Russian commanders are underreporting casualties to their superiors, further complicating efforts to assess the full impact of the losses on the battlefield.
