A small number of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine have been killed or wounded during battles in the Kursk border region, according to a senior US military official. The exact number of casualties is not known, but officials say that because the North Korean forces are not battle-hardened, they have suffered more casualties than expected.
The White House and Pentagon confirmed on Monday that North Korean troops are participating in battles with Russian units, and in some cases, independently around Kursk. This comes after Ukraine announced last month that it had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia for the war.
US officials said they may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon equipment stocks intended for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. The administration is under pressure to provide as much military aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump’s transition.
A separate $1.2 billion remains available through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, and officials anticipate releasing this money by the end of the year. However, concerns have been raised about whether Trump will continue to provide full funding for Ukrainian military aid after taking office.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-ukraine-casualties-kursk-russia-a1207ba61ded5061f721ffa0f0650851