Several hundred North Korean soldiers fighting alongside russian forces against Ukraine were killed or injured during battles in the Kursk oblast, writes Associated Press, citing a senior military official.
The official did not provide exact numbers of those killed but stated that North Korean troops seem inexperienced in combat, contributing to the number of casualties.
This marks the first significant estimate of North Korean losses, which comes weeks after Ukraine announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers to russia.
On Monday, the White House and Pentagon confirmed that North Korean troops are engaged in frontline combat, primarily in infantry positions. They have been fighting alongside russian units and, in some cases, independently.