South Korea claims at least 100 North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – At least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed fighting against Ukraine, the South Korean spy agency claimed on Thursday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said approximately 1,000 other soldiers were also injured during the combat between Russian and Ukrainian forces as the conflict has continued now well past the 1,000th day.

The NIS provided this information to South Korean lawmakers during a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

According to the NIS, some 11,000 soldiers have been deployed in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, and are "in actual combat."

North Korean generals are “likely included among the casualties,” the intelligence agency claimed.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has confirmed or denied the deployment of North Korean troops to fight Ukraine, which is supported by the US, EU, and their allies against Russia.

According to NIS, North Korean troops are "being consumed as front-line stormtroopers in unfamiliar battlefields due to their lack of experience with drones."

The agency claimed that the Russian military has "complained that the North Korean soldiers are a burden because of their ignorance of drones.”

In November, Seoul was the first to claim that Pyongyang had sent troops to Russia. Later, the US and NATO supported South Korea’s claims.

The development came after Moscow and Pyongyang signed a comprehensive bilateral agreement requiring either of the two allies to extend military support if attacked by a third party.