North Korean troops fighting for Russia kill 300 Ukrainian soldiers, reclaim village in Kursk: Report

North Korean troops fighting for Russia in the war have reportedly killed around 300 Ukrainian soldiers as they reclaimed a village in the Kursk region.

According to a report by NK News, the Russian Telegram channel Romanov Light claimed on Friday that North Korean soldiers launched an attack on the village of Plyokhovo in Kursk “like a hurricane”, leaving over 300 Kyiv’s soldiers dead.

How did the attack take place?

The incident occurred on December 6 when North Korean forces killed soldiers and seized the village in under 2 hours without taking any prisoners, the channel said.

Although the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the reported attack, former Ukrainian lawmaker and pro-Russian politician Oleg Tsaryov stated that he could confirm the news but provided no further details.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have reached new heights ever since South Korea revealed that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia to fight the war.

The presence of North Korean troops in Russia, which has been confirmed by Washington, has caused anxiety among leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who has called for their withdrawal.

North Korea-Russia defence pact

Meanwhile, a landmark defence pact between North Korea and Russia, signed by its leaders in June, went into effect after the two sides exchanged ratification documents earlier this week.

The formalization of the treaty comes as the United States and South Korea have accused the nuclear-armed North of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine.

Experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is keen to acquire advanced technology from Moscow and battle experience for his troops in return.

Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the strategic partnership deal during the Kremlin chief’s visit to Pyongyang.

It obligates both states to provide military assistance “without delay” in the case of an attack on the other and to oppose Western sanctions jointly.

With inputs from AFP