Russia unable to offset daily losses in Ukraine by North Korean forces

Pavlo Lakiichuk, the head of security programs at the Center for Global Studies Strategy XXI, discussed this on Hromadske Radio.

Pavlo Lakiichuk mentioned that Russia loses between 1,000 and 2,000 personnel each day in the war against Ukraine. As a result, the 10,000-12,000 North Koreans would only be able to fill this mobilization gap for approximately two weeks.

"Strategically, the number of North Korean troops currently fighting against Ukraine will not change the situation," he stated.

If this number of North Korean troops is seen as a test step, a successful outcome could encourage Kim Jong Un to increase North Korea's military involvement in the war against Ukraine, the expert suggested.

• North Korean army units, which Russia has engaged in the war against Ukraine, were put on high alert on December 13, according to Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence. The report indicates that the commanders of these North Korean units were instructed to cooperate with adjacent Russian units involved in combat operations in Kursk. Additionally, North Korean troops recently received additional supplies of food, some of which are covertly being transported to the front line using civilian trucks that resemble water delivery vehicles.
• On Saturday, December 14, 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially confirmed for the first time the involvement of North Korean fighters in offensive actions against Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region, resulting in "significant losses" on their part.
• On the same day, Ukraine's intelligence reported the first losses among North Korean soldiers - 200 individuals. Additionally, according to Ukrainian sources, North Korean troops mistakenly eliminated 8 Chechen soldiers.
• After suffering losses during assaults in Kursk, DPRK army units are being reinforced with fresh personnel to sustain active combat operations.