Ukrainian soldiers of the 6th Regiment of the Special Operations Forces have repelled an assault by North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, eliminating 18 North Korean fighters.
In Russia’s Kursk Oblast, some 12,000 North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Russia since November 2024. Earlier, President Zelenskyy stated that North Korean military units suffered approximately 3,800 casualties so far.
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces neutralized 18 North Korean fighters in Kursk Oblast
Ukrainian soldiers repelled an assault launched by the North Korean military that lasted from morning until late at night
????Ukrainian Special Operations Forces pic.twitter.com/sBDAErKzTj— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) January 13, 2025
One surviving North Korean soldier attempted a failed ambush on the Ukrainian soldiers. He tried to deceive the fighters and detonate a grenade, intending to kill them along with himself.
As the Ukrainian rangers approached, the North Korean soldier detonated the grenade. However, the Ukrainian troops noticed the threat in time and quickly moved out of the blast zone, sustaining no injuries.
Earlier, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service identified that two North Korean soldiers recently captured by the Ukrainians in Kursk Oblast worked for North Korea’s military intelligence agency.
North Korean forces were instructed to commit suicide rather than face capture by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was willing to repatriate the North Korean soldiers on the condition that North Korea assists in arranging an exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Related:
- ISW: North Korean troops lose about one-third of their 12,000-strong contingent in Kursk Oblast
- North Korean POW reveals he expected training, not fighting against Ukraine
- Ukraine captures two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia – Zelenskyy
- North Korean POWs in Kyiv: Ukraine’s FM calls for maximum pressure on Moscow and Pyongyang
- Frontline Report: Ukraine blocks 2 km Russian advance near Sudzha-Makhnovka line in Russia’s Kursk Oblast
- Forbes: Up to 400 Russo-North Korean troops lost in single attack on Ukrainian positions in Kursk