North Korean soldiers are plugging the gap in Russian ranks after tens of thousands were killed during the ongoing war in Ukraine leaving Vladimir Putin with few soldiers to draw from
Russia: North Korean troops spotted near villages in Kursk region
Blundering North Korean special forces fighters killed eight Russian troops in a ‘friendly fire’ strike, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.
The incident in Russia’s Kursk region – partially occupied by Kyiv’s forces – came when they mistook them for Ukrainians. They opened fire on a unit of Akhmat fighters, who are controlled by Putin warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Russian region Chechnya, according to the HUR agency.
A key problem is the language barrier between Russian forces and the up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers brought in to assist Kremlin troops. This is a “serious obstacle”, claimed HUR.
“Due to [this] problem, North Korean soldiers opened ‘friendly fire’ on the vehicles of the so-called Akhmat battalion. The result was eight Kadyrov [fighters] killed.”
The agency also claimed that dictator Kim Jong Un’s forces have lost their first men in the war. Estimated losses of units manned by Russian and North Korean personnel as of December 14, 2024 are about 200 servicemen,” said the intelligence agency.
“North Korean troops suffered losses in the chicken coop and out of fear ‘overwhelmed’ Kadyrov’s troops,” said the GUR. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky also said that North Korean losses were “noticeable”.
Meanwhile, footage released by Ukrainian OSINT project Cyber Boroshno claims North Korean troops were spotted crossing terrain near the villages of Kremyany and Pogrebki in Kursk region, Russia. On Friday it was claimed by Putin war propagandists that North Korean special forces troops had seized their first village in Kursk region.
The troops took Plekhovo, which had a prewar population of 627, from Ukrainian occupying forces, according to Telegram War channel Romanov Light. “The settlement was taken exclusively by the North Korean Special Operations Forces – in 2 hours,” stated the channel, run by military blogger Vladimir Romanov.
“They passed through like a hurricane, [and] did not take prisoners.” However, the account was disputed with Russian troops claiming they did the heavy lifting in the seizure of the village. Earlier, pictures showed North Koreans training in Russia prior to being deployed in Kursk region.
Earlier this week North Korean troops seized their first village after they entered the Ukraine war on the side of despot Putin. The special forces took Plekhovo, which had a prewar population of 627, from Ukrainian forces occupying the the Jursj region of Russia, according to pro-Russia Telegram.
More than 300 Ukrainian troops were killed in the attack it has been claimed, with North Koreans reportedly choosing not to take any prisoners. Russian military blogger Vladimir Romanov wrote at the time: “The settlement was taken exclusively by the North Korean Special Operations Forces – in 2 hours. They passed through like a hurricane, [and] did not take prisoners. The enemy lost more than 300 servicemen.”
