A high-ranking North Korean general was wounded after a recent Ukrainian strike on the Kursk region.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) writes about this with reference to sources.
It added that this is the first time that Western officials have said that a high-ranking military officer from North Korea has become a victim of Russiaʼs full-scale war against Ukraine. It is not known who exactly this general is.
It is worth noting that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, only three generals, as well as 500 officers and about 12 thousand soldiers, arrived in Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian and Western politicians, on November 20, Ukraine launched at least ten long-range British Storm Shadow missiles over the Kursk region.
The US White House condemned the Kremlinʼs involvement of North Korean soldiers and warned that they could become a target for the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
On November 6, the American newspaper The New York Times wrote that the North Korean troops suffered their first losses in the battles against Ukraine. The North Koreans fought together with the Russian 810 separate brigade of marines. It is not clear when exactly the battle took place, but it was small and there the Koreans suffered their first losses.
The participation of the North Korean military in the war in Ukraine
Russia has assembled a group of 50 000 soldiers for the offensive in the Kursk region. The North Koreans are trained in artillery fire, basic infantry tactics and, most importantly, trench clearing, the US officials say. This means that at least part of the military from North Korea will be used in frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions.
According to Bloomberg, North Korea may deploy up to 100 000 troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine if the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow continues to deepen.
North Korea and Russia have already ratified the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, which their leaders signed in June. Among other things, it contains a pact on mutual defense. During her visit to Moscow in early November 2024, the head of the North Korean Foreign Ministry stated that the leader of the DPRK Kim Jong Un had ordered to help the Russian army since the beginning of the great war.
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