Western officials reported that North Korean forces have suffered roughly 1,000 killed in action and 3,000 missing or wounded as of mid-January 2025, roughly 33-40 percent of the 11,000-12,000 total personnel already in Russia.
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North Korean forces suffered 1,000 KIA and 3,000 MIA/WIA (33-40% of forces)
21 North Korean soldiers killed and 40 wounded in the engagement on Jan. 22
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces killed 21 and wounded 40 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region during an 8-hour standoff.
By the ninth hour of the battle, Ukrainian operators had only one-third of their ammunition remaining.
SOF operators killed 21 and wounded 40 DPRK soldiers in Kursk region.
4,000 DPRK soldiers have been eliminated in Kursk region as of 21 January.
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Extraction metadata
Extracted: 2026-05-30T04:15:39.000Z
Source story: russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-22-2025