Ukraine releases images and footage of N Korean troops killed in Russia’s Kursk region

The soldiers’ bodies shown covered in snow were killed during assaults in the Russian region bordering Ukraine

Seoul: The Ukrainian military has released photos and footage of what appear to be dozens of North Korean soldiers killed along with Russian troops in Russia’s western Kursk border region, a Ukrainian media outlet has said.

Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sunday, citing information from a drone unit, that the soldiers whose bodies were shown covered in snow were killed during assaults in the Russian region bordering Ukraine on Saturday, Yonhap news agency reported.

“The Madiar channel emphasised that this is a collaborative effort of FPV (first person view)-drone pilots of the 414th Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Regiment, the Mahura Brigade, the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, the 1st Tank Brigade and the 17th Tank Brigade,” the outlet said.

The details of the post shared on the drone unit’s Telegram channel could not be verified immediately. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia could extend its deployment of North Koreans to other parts of the frontline.

“We already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them,” Zelenskyy said in an address.

“The Russians include them in combined units and use them in operations in the Kursk region. So far, only there. But we have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the front line,” he said.

South Korea and the US have accused North Korea of sending thousands of soldiers to Russia, with some of them engaging in combat in the western Kursk border region.