At least 30 North Korean soldiers killed & wounded in Russia's Kursk region, says Ukraine

Ukraine said on Monday that its troops killed or wounded at least 30 North Korean soldiers who had been deployed by Russia to its western Kursk region, where Ukraine has seized territory, AFP reported.

"On December 14 and 15, army units from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) suffered significant losses near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba, Martynovka in the Kursk region of Russia -- at least 30 soldiers were killed and wounded," Ukraine's military intelligence said.

According to a report by NK News, the Russian Telegram channel Romanov Light claimed on Friday that North Korean soldiers launched an attack on the village of Plyokhovo in Kursk “like a hurricane”, leaving over 300 Kyiv’s soldiers dead.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have reached new heights ever since South Korea revealed that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia to fight the war.

The presence of North Korean troops in Russia, which has been confirmed by Washington, has caused anxiety among leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who has called for their withdrawal.