North Korea Lost 5,000 Troops in Kursk: UK
Reports from the ground indicate that the North Koreans are disciplined and fearsome fighters—but do not seem trained and equipped for a 21st-century conflict.
North Korean troops fighting for Russia continue to take heavy losses as the Ukrainian salient inside Russia is under attack. Over 5,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded fighting for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Western reports.
North Korea’s Heavy Losses in Kursk
“As of March 2025, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) forces had highly likely sustained over 5,000 casualties in offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Russian oblast of Kursk, with approximately a third of the casualties killed in action,” the British Ministry of Defence assessed in a recent intelligence estimate.
North Korea has sent a contingent of troops to Russia to assist the Russian forces in their fight against Ukraine. Thus far, the North Korean soldiers have focused their operations predominantly in the Kursk Oblast in southwestern Russia. The Ukrainian military holds a sizable—though much reduced—salient there after launching a surprise offensive operation in August. Although the strategic utility of Ukraine’s foray inside Russia is up for discussion, the Russian military had to dedicate more than 50,000 troops to pushing back the Ukrainians from Kursk and eradicating the salient.
The latest figure of casualties means that the North Korean contingent has lost approximately half of its initial force of 11,000 men. Although most of the losses concern wounded troops, many have been killed. The casualty rate was becoming so high that the Russian leadership had to pull the North Koreans off the line. In the months that followed, Pyongyang deployed approximately 3,000 additional troops as reinforcements, and the North Korean contingent moved back onto the line of contact.
“Significant DPRK casualty rates have almost certainly been sustained primarily through large, highly attritional dismounted assaults,” the British Ministry of Defence added in its intelligence assessment.
Reports from the ground indicate that the North Koreans are disciplined and fearsome fighters—but do not seem trained and equipped for a 21st-century conflict. Indeed, a good portion of their casualties come as a result of Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems. In many ways, the North Koreans were prepared for a Cold War-style conflict, with great tank battles, artillery duels, and large infantry assaults. The realities of modern combat in Ukraine, where the constant buzz of drones over the battlefield signals a deadly threat, caught the North Koreans unaware.
Russia and North Korea Make Progress in Kursk
However, despite the heavy casualties, Russian and North Korean forces have been making progress in Kursk.
“DPRK forces and Russian forces have made territorial gains in recent weeks in offensive operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk. Ukrainian forces likely retain at least a foothold in the Russian territory of Kursk,” the British Ministry of Defence added.
“DPRK operations have thus far been confined to the Kursk region. Any decision to deploy into internationally recognised, sovereign Ukrainian territory in support of Russian forces, would almost certainly require sign-off from both Russia’s President Putin, and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un,” the British Ministry of Defence concluded in its intelligence assessment.
Such a development could also revitalize international support for Ukraine. North Korea is a pariah state, and the deployment of North Korean troops in Kursk pushed the United States, France, and the United Kingdom to give Ukraine the green light to use long-range munitions against military targets within Kursk. Thus, a further escalation by Pyongyang could trigger a similar response from the West.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Astrelok.