Zelensky: "Russia Deploys North Korean Troops Again"

Deployed to the Kursk Operation
"Hundreds of Russian and North Korean Soldiers Killed"
Estimated Cumulative North Korean Casualties and Missing Reach 4,000

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that North Korean troops, who had disappeared from the western Russian Kursk front, have returned.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On the 7th (local time), Ukrainian local media Ukrainska Pravda, AFP, and other foreign news agencies reported that President Zelensky stated in an evening speech, "A new attack occurred in the Kursk operational area," and added, "The Russian military has redeployed North Korean troops." He further noted, "Hundreds of Russian and North Korean soldiers have died."

Previously, North Korea sent approximately 11,000 troops to Russia in November last year. They were deployed on the western Russian Kursk front, which is occupied by Ukrainian forces, but disappeared from mid-last month. Regarding this, on the 30th of last month, the US daily The New York Times (NYT) cited anonymous US and Ukrainian officials saying, "The North Korean troops suffered significant casualties and retreated, and there is a possibility they will undergo additional training and be redeployed."

In relation to this, on the 28th of last month, US CNN reported, based on videos obtained from Ukrainian special operations forces and interviews with officials, that the behavior of North Korean troops on the battlefield was described as "suicidal impulses and 1980s-style tactics." A special operations commander stated, "Despite any attempts to demand surrender, they (North Korean troops) continue to fight," but also pointed out, "However, they are not prepared for the realities of the battlefield such as modern drone warfare." Western authorities estimate that North Korean casualties and missing personnel number around 4,000. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, recently stated, "The combat strength of North Korean troops has decreased to nearly half within three months after deployment."

Meanwhile, on the same day, President Zelensky emphasized in an interview with foreign media that he must meet US President Donald Trump before a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin takes place. He urged for a prompt meeting, saying, "There should not be talks about Ukraine without Ukraine."

Keith Kellogg, the US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, is scheduled to attend the Munich Security Conference held in Germany from the 14th to the 16th, and President Zelensky also plans to attend this conference. Zelensky is seeking practical guarantees to prevent Russia from invading again and ways to secure safety after a ceasefire. Considering President Trump's transactional diplomacy strategy, he proposed trading war aid for agreements such as joint development of critical mineral resources like rare earth elements and US liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage projects, emphasizing that Ukraine must receive security guarantees from its allies through any agreement.