North Korean troops fighting for Russia against Ukraine have suffered 4,000 casualties, two-thirds of whom have been killed, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 14.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said the morale of Pyongyang's troops had been "broken" by the losses, a Kyiv Independent journalist reported from the event.
"We understand that their losses are more than four thousand. I think two-thirds have died," he added.
Up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces in countering a Ukrainian incursion launched in early August 2024.
Zelensky's claim of the number killed is significantly higher than a Jan. 13 estimate from South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) which said at least 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and another 2,700 wounded.
Zelensky also said 2,000-3,000 more troops are being transferred from North Korea to Russia's Kursk Oblast, saying it was important that U.S. President Donald Trump takes note of such developments as he tries to bring Moscow to the negotiating table.
The heavy losses of the North Korean army may be related to its lack of combat experience and the tactic of human waves attacks with a limited amount of equipment, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The War Zone magazine published on Feb. 4.
According to Budanov, North Korean soldiers attack "almost without any combat vehicles."
Budanov also suggested that the North Korean military is so willing to advance on foot against Ukrainian drones and artillery because of its loyalty to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
He added their disregard for personal safety makes Ukraine's defense more challenging.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
