North Korean troops have battled Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, resulting in “several hundred” casualties, a senior U.S. military official said.
North Korea has sent thousands of troops to shore up Russia's war effort, including in the Kursk border area where Ukrainian forces captured territory earlier this year.
“The latest estimate for North Korea's casualties is several hundred casualties,” the official said on condition of anonymity, using an abbreviation of North Korea's official name.
This includes “everything from minor injuries to KIA (killed in action),” the official said, adding that the victims included soldiers of “all ranks.”
“They are not a battle-hardened army. They have never been in combat before,” the official said, adding that perhaps this is “why they are suffering so many casualties at the hands of the Ukrainians. '', he added.
Officials' comments on the casualties came after Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Shirsky said Russia had put North Korean troops at the center of a multi-day “intensive offensive” in Kursk. .
North Korea and Russia have strengthened military ties since the Russian military invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defense pact between North Korea and Moscow, signed in June, went into effect earlier this month.
Kim Jong Un, the leader of nuclear-armed North Korea, is keen to acquire advanced technology and combat experience for his military from Russia, experts say.
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“I certainly anticipate… there may be some authority remaining that is transitional and available to the next administration,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
