As of mid-January 2025, DPRK forces had lost 4,000 people in offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Of these, about a quarter were killed in action. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom in the social network X, UNN reports.
Details
As noted in the report, the total losses amount to more than a third of the approximately 11,000 DPRK troops deployed in the Kursk region.
According to British intelligence, the high level of DPRK losses in a short period of time has almost certainly significantly impaired the ability of DPRK forces to conduct offensive combat operations in support of Russia's attempts to oust Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.
Despite significant combat losses, DPRK troops have achieved only tactical success in the Kursk region. Russian and DPRK forces are almost certainly having difficulty interacting. The two forces do not speak a common language, and DPRK troops will almost certainly have difficulty integrating into the Russian command and control structure
Recall
According to the ISW, the 12,000-strong contingent of North Korean troops in the Kursk region could be completely destroyed by April 2025. Daily losses amount to about 92 soldiers since the beginning of their participation in the fighting.