Kiev: at least 30 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded in Kursk

Russia deploys North Korean troops in the Kursk region, according to Ukrainian intelligence. EU intensifies sanctions against Moscow and its allies

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, at least 30 North Korean soldiers deployed by Russia in the Kursk region were killed or wounded in fighting against Kiev forces. The presence of North Korean troops was also confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he had ‘the first evidence of their massive presence’ in the region, where Ukrainian forces are regaining ground. Unverified videos are circulating online, showing alleged North Korean soldiers engaged in operations.

Between 14 and 15 December, North Korean troops reportedly suffered significant losses near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba and Martynovka, all located in the Kursk region, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports. Kiev accuses Moscow of using these foreign forces as ‘cannon fodder’, sacrificing them in frontal assaults that resulted in heavy casualties.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed the capture of the village of Yelyzavtivka in eastern Ukraine, about ten kilometres from Kurakhove, an important industrial town that Moscow’s forces have been trying to occupy for weeks.

On the sanctions front, the European Union adopted its 15th package of measures against Russia, aimed at targeting the ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers that Moscow uses to circumvent the price cap on oil. The sanctions also target North Korean leaders and Chinese companies involved in the Russian war effort, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said during the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

The prospects for peace remain distant. Kallas reiterated that Russia ‘does not want peace’, and according to Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, all indicators show that Moscow is determined to continue the war. The EU therefore intends to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield by providing aid and protecting its energy infrastructure, which is considered strategic in the resistance against Russian aggression.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)