Over 7,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded in Russia's war against Ukraine

A total of 7,058 North Korean servicemen have been killed or wounded in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Source: Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, during the presentation of the report Foreign Fighters in the Russian Army: How to Stop the Global Recruitment Scheme, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Details: According to intelligence data, North Korea's military presence in Russia's war against Ukraine totals 14,061 personnel (9,500 currently deployed). A total of 7,058 constitute combat losses. Of these, 2,251 were killed in action and 4,807 were wounded.

Background:

• In February, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that 6,000 North Korean servicemen had been killed or wounded in Russia's war against Ukraine.
• South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported that as of February 2026, about 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia's frontline Kursk Oblast. Of these, 10,000 were combat troops and 1,000 engineer troops.
• On 26 April, North Korea opened the Memorial Museum of Foreign Military Operations, which is centred on troops who fought alongside Russian forces against Ukraine.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has confirmed a policy requiring soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture while participating in Russia's war against Ukraine.

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