According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the high number of casualties can be explained by the “unfamiliar battlefield environment.”
At least 100 North Koreans were killed in December fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said Thursday, echoing similar reports from kyiv and Washington.
“In December, they participated in actual combat, during which at least 100 deaths occurred”declared MP Lee Seong-kweun about North Korean troops, after a briefing given by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to parliamentarians in Seoul. “The NIS also said the number of injured is expected to reach nearly 1,000” among North Korean troops, Lee added.
According to him, certain information indicates that “several North Korean losses, including those of high-ranking officers, occurred in Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, as well as in accidents during training”.
“Complaints among the Russian army”
According to the NIS, cited by Lee, the high number of victims can be explained by “the unfamiliar battlefield environment, where North Korean forces are used as expendable frontline assault units, and their lack of ability to counter drone attacks”.
The MP also mentioned “complaints among the Russian military that North Korean troops, due to their lack of knowledge about drones, are more of a burden than an asset”.
Several thousand North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia in recent weeks to support the Russian army, according to Westerners. For its part, the Kremlin has each time evaded questions on the subject, not wanting to confirm this information.
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