The Ukrainian Defense Forces inflicted their first losses on DPRK troops fighting in the Kursk region of Russia. At the time of the attack on them, the Koreans opened "friendly fire" on the "Kadyrovites". UNN reports this with reference to information released by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
"The aggressor state of Russia has begun to use DPRK soldiers in assault operations in the Kursk region, in particular, as part of the combined units of the marines and airborne troops of the Russian Armed Forces," the DIU said.
They noted that the North Korean troops suffered sanitary and irreversible losses as a result of a successful fire strike by the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces.
"In particular, at one of the positions in the Kursk region, the DPRK army was effectively "covered" by FPV drones.
As of December 14, 2024, the estimated losses of units manned by Russian and North Korean personnel amounted to about 200 servicemen.
In the process of deploying DPRK troops on the battlefield, the language barrier remains a difficult obstacle to command and control and coordination.
Because of this problem, North Korean soldiers opened "friendly fire" on the vehicles of the so-called "Ahmat" battalion. The result was eight killed Kadyrovites," the statement said.
As a reminder, there are about 11,000 DPRK army personnel in Russia.
In the places where they are stationed, the aggressor has introduced a special counterintelligence regime: Russian soldiers and officers are checked by the FSB, their phones and other devices are seized before they are allowed to enter the areas where North Korean units are located.