Russia hides losses of DPRK soldiers in Kursk region — ISW

Russia does not officially recognize the presence of North Korean troops in the Kursk region. This is because such recognition would mean that the Kremlin cannot recapture its own territory without the involvement of foreign troops.

This was stated by the Institute for the Study of War on Tuesday, December 17.

DPRK losses in the Russian-Ukrainian war

The analysts' report notes that US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed the participation of the DPRK military in the fighting in the Kursk region. Kirby said that North Korean soldiers had been moving from the second line of the battlefield in the Kursk region to the front line over the past few days. 

However, Russian official sources continue to avoid confirming this. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War note that Russian officials and state media have not acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in Russia or their participation in the fighting in the Kursk region.

"The Kremlin is likely to continue to avoid reporting on the deployment of North Korean troops in the Kursk region, as this would mean a tacit admission that Russia needs foreign troops to reclaim its territory and would make Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims that the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region has led to a high level of recruitment of Russians into the army far-fetched," the report says.

The losses of DPRK military personnel were confirmed by Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder. However, the official did not specify what kind of losses he was talking about. The information that the Russians are trying to hide losses among North Korean personnel and burn the faces of dead DPRK soldiers was also reported by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As a reminder, North Korean forces are facing expected difficulties, high losses, and poor communication with Russian troops in the Kursk region. This is likely to disrupt coordination between North Korean and Russian personnel and undermine Russian military operations.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians are trying to hide North Korean losses. According to him, Ukraine is currently finding out full information about the real losses of the DPRK.