Sat Dec 28 00:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Ukrainian President Claims Heavy Losses for North Korean Troops Fighting in Russia
**KYIV, Ukraine (December 28, 2024)** – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Friday that North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk region are suffering significant casualties, with minimal protection provided by their Russian counterparts. Zelenskiy stated in his nightly address that Russian forces are sending North Koreans into battle with inadequate support, leading to extreme measures by the North Koreans to avoid capture, including instances of summary execution by their own commanders.
Intelligence reports suggest approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers are currently in the Kursk region, a border area where Ukrainian forces have maintained a foothold since an incursion in August. Zelenskiy previously reported over 3,000 North Korean casualties earlier this week. While a few North Korean prisoners have been taken, their injuries were too severe to save their lives.
Zelenskiy appealed to North Korea’s neighbors, particularly China, to influence Pyongyang and prevent further loss of Korean lives in the European conflict. He emphasized that if China is serious about preventing the war’s expansion, it must exert pressure on the North Korean government.
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