▲ This Dec. 16, 2024, screenshot shows a photo from the Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda of what it described to be Russian and North Korean soldiers killed in combat. It has been partially blurred. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

NK troops-casualties

Pentagon says N. Korean troops killed and injured in combat against Ukraine: Reuters

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- The United States has indications that North Korean troops have suffered casualties, including fatalities, during combat alongside Russian forces against Ukraine, Reuters reported Monday, citing a Pentagon spokesperson.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder made the remarks as Kyiv's intelligence authorities have said that some 200 Russian and North Korean soldiers were estimated to have been killed while fighting in combined units against Ukrainian forces.

"We do assess that North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat in Kursk ... we do have indications that they have suffered casualties, both killed and wounded," Ryder was quoted by Reuters as telling reporters. Kursk is Russia's western front line.

Ryder noted that North Korean troops entered combat last week. He did not elaborate on the number of North Korean casualties.

In a statement published Saturday (local time), Ukraine's Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) said that North Korean soldiers have been mobilized for assault operations as part of combined units of Russian marines and airborne troops.

The DIU claimed that North Korean troops suffered "irreversible losses" from Ukraine's attacks, and noted that the language barrier is an issue for Russian and North Korean combined units in conducting coordinated operations.

The U.S. has said that Pyongyang has sent more than 11,000 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. The troop deployment has fueled concerns that it could further prolong the war and have security implications for both Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]