Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that North Korea may send more troops and equipment to Russia's military. He made such a claim on social media X on Monday (December 23). The Ukrainian president also claimed that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or injured in the Kursk region. British news agency Roytas reported this news.
In a report, Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Sirsky, told Zelensky this information. He also warned that Ukraine will respond effectively in this regard.
Actual North Korean casualty numbers are higher than those provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul. South Korea claimed on Monday that at least 1,100 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in the Ukraine war.
Last week, South Korea's intelligence agency said about 100 people were killed and another 1,000 were injured in Russia's Kursk region.
But Reuters could not independently verify claims of battlefield losses.
So far, Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the deployment of North Koreans in the war. Pyongyang, however, initially dismissed the troop deployment as 'fake news'. But a North Korean official told Reuters such deployments are legal.
Ukraine and its allies claim that North Korea has sent about 12,000 troops to Russia, who have been deployed in Kursk. In August, Ukraine launched a major cross-border offensive in Kursk. The country still controls parts of the Kursk region.
