North Korea reportedly dispatched 12,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk border region in late October, supporting Moscow’s military efforts following Ukraine’s August incursion. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy previously indicated that approximately 4,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded, with recent battlefield losses potentially escalating this figure. Pyongyang’s troops lack modern warfare training and heavy equipment, while Ukrainian sources note that Russia uses the North Koreans as “cannon fodder” in human-wave attacks.
Romanenko highlighted that North Korea's support remains substantial, supplying 60% of the ammunition Russia uses on the front lines.
“This is significant assistance, and our defenders on the front must overcome it. To do so, we require the right tools—advanced weapons, equipment, and well-trained personnel—to counter and destroy the enemy,” he emphasized.In exchange, Kim Jong Un receives technology, funding, and food supplies from Russia, sustaining their cooperation despite the associated risks and losses, Romanenko concluded. In January, Ukrainian soldiers from the 95th Air Assault Brigade captured a North Korean soldier who refused to drop his sausage even at gunpoint and later attempted self-harm by striking his head against a concrete structure. Earlier, reports emerged that North Korea deployed civilian trucks modified to conceal rocket launchers to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where combined Russian-North Korean forces are engaged in combat with Ukrainian troops.
Forbes: North Korea deploys parade-tested hidden launchers to aid Russians in KurskThe 12-tube launchers, capable of firing 122-millimeter rockets with a 19-mile range, are disguised as ordinary box trucks. These vehicles were previously displayed during a 2023 military parade in Pyongyang alongside other civilian vehicles modified for military purposes. Read also:
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