New images released by Russia’s defense ministry show North Korean troops clearing mines in the war-ravaged Kursk region in western Russia, the latest sign of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
North Korean soldiers are seen handling detection equipment, receiving instructions from Russian engineers and singing patriotic songs before beginning their work. A Russian commander with the call sign "Veles" said, "They’re great lads, they learn quickly, listen attentively and take notes." Another commander, "Lesnik," said the North Koreans were operating "on an equal level with my sappers, carrying out the same tasks as my guys."
According to Reuters, Russia says the North Korean deployment follows last year’s fighting that helped repel a major Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources told Reuters that North Korea sent about 14,000 troops under a mutual defense pact and that more than 6,000 were killed. The battlefield casualty numbers could not be independently verified.
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The Russian defense ministry channel Zvezda claims that the new demining unit was "created and sent to the Kursk region by order of Commander-in-Chief Kim Jong Un." The channel said North Korean engineers "arrived in the Kursk region already experienced in carrying out missions in their homeland" and then "received extensive additional training by the Engineering Troops of the Russian Armed Forces."
In the images released by the Russian defense ministry, Kim Jong Un's sappers begin each operation by venerating the North Korean flag, describing it as a sign of their readiness "to carry out any order from the Supreme Leader." The Russian defense ministry claims Russian instructors taught them to handle "the latest NATO and Ukrainian mines" and to counter drones.
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North Korean engineers now reportedly use Russian robotic demining platforms such as the Stalker and Uran-6.
The East to West News Agency reported that the first of thousands of North Korean military engineers have begun clearing explosives in the region, describing the mission as aimed at reducing the risk to Russian personnel. Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, has also said North Korea is deploying 6,000 engineers to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that out of up to 12,000 North Koreans sent to support Russia’s war effort, "their losses are more than 4,000. I think two-thirds have died." Fox News Digital could not independently confirm casualty figures.
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Russian military outlet Krasnaya Zvezda reported that Russian and North Korean teams are confronting a "previously unseen density" of anti-tank and antipersonnel mines allegedly left by Ukrainian forces, adding that many of the devices were manufactured by NATO members. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield conditions.
According to the outlet, 37 of the 64 settlements in the Bolshesoldatsky district remain closed to civilians because of mines. The report also said the sappers continue to come under Ukrainian artillery and drone fire, which Reuters was also unable to confirm.
Ukrainian forces stormed into the Kursk region in August 2024, holding parts of the area for months. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in April that Russian troops, supported by North Korean units, had pushed them out.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last month that the countries’ military cooperation would "advance non-stop," Reuters reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
