Overview

• North Korea’s state media, quoting Kim Jong Un, confirmed the deployment of over 10,000 troops to support Russia in the Kursk region, marking their first official acknowledgment of involvement in the war.
• Russia’s military leadership praised North Korean soldiers for their role in what it called the successful recapture of Kursk, though Ukraine denies these claims and reports ongoing fighting.
• Western and South Korean intelligence estimate that North Korea has suffered approximately 4,000 casualties among its forces in the conflict.
• International law experts argue that North Korea’s direct involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war violates UN prohibitions on foreign military intervention.
• This development underscores the deepening military partnership between Russia and North Korea, which has included arms shipments and now active troop deployments.