Intelligence report comes days after Ukraine’s president said nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been ‘killed or wounded’ in combat.
A North Korean soldier, who was fighting for Russia, has passed away in Ukrainian captivity due to severe injuries, as reported by South Korea’s intelligence agency.
The announcement by the National Intelligence Service in Seoul was made on Friday, shortly after Yonhap news agency stated that the agency confirmed the capture of a North Korean soldier by Ukrainian forces for the first time. The soldier was reported to be alive, but the exact location of his capture was unknown.
Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s military, especially in the Kursk border region where Ukraine launched a surprise border incursion in August.
The confirmation of the soldier’s passing comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that almost 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been either killed or injured while fighting alongside Russian troops.
This is the first significant estimation by Ukraine of North Korean casualties, weeks after Kyiv revealed that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to aid Russia in the nearly three-year-long conflict.
Ukraine’s military intelligence, known as GUR, stated that significant casualties were caused to North Korean units by Ukrainian attacks near Novoivanovka in Kursk, as well as supply issues and shortages of basic necessities like drinking water.
Strengthened ties
North Korea and Russia have bolstered their military cooperation since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A crucial defence agreement between Pyongyang and Moscow, signed in June, came into effect this month, with Russian President Vladimir Putin describing it as a “breakthrough document.”
Ukraine’s allies have expressed concerns about North Korea’s increasing involvement in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, calling it a “dangerous escalation”.
South Korean politician Lee Seong-kweun recently stated that North Korean soldiers are being used as “disposable front-line combat units”.
