High-ranking North Korean general injured in Ukrainian strike on Kursk, WSJ reports

A high-ranking North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian missile strike on Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Nov. 21, citing undisclosed sources.

This marked the first injury of a senior North Korean military figure confirmed by Western officials.

The WSJ source noted that the attack may have targeted a command post used by Russian and North Korean forces near the Bariatinsky estate in Maryino.

The general’s identity and the circumstances of the injury remain undisclosed.

North Korea has dispatched 10,000 troops to Russia, with most of them deployed in the western Kursk Oblast and taking part in combat, a Pentagon spokesperson said during a press briefing on Nov. 12.

Russia is mustering a force of 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops, to launch a counter-offensive against a Ukrainian salient in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the New York Times reported on Nov. 10.

The new force comes as Russia saw its heaviest losses last month, and the North Korean troops could be replacing injured and killed Russian soldiers, according to some experts.

North Korean troops in Russia to be led by secrecy-shrouded general close to Kim Jong Un, WSJ reports

Kim Yong Bok, officially the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, is expected to oversee the integration of North Korean troops into Russian forces, gain combat experience, and establish a framework for future deployments, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk