Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) said its drone operators eliminated nearly 100 North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region.
The SSO published footage of drones targeting soldiers on the battlefield via Telegram on Dec. 17. “Soldiers of the 8th Regiment of the SSO of the Armed Forces of Ukraine organized a warm welcome for North Korean troops in the Kursk region,” the SSO wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
The SSO reported that they killed 50 North Korean soldiers and injured 47 others in three days. They also destroyed two pieces of armored equipment, two vehicles, and one Russian all-terrain vehicle (ATV).
The video, around one minute and seven seconds long, shows Ukrainian drones conducting over 20 bomb attacks on soldiers presumed to be North Korean. The footage captures soldiers crossing a snow-covered field before being struck by drones. Several are seen fleeing the attacks, one unsuccessfully taking cover behind a tree and others carrying away the bodies of the dead.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), told U.S. military outlet The War Zone on Dec. 16 that “North Korean troops began launching large-scale assault operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region last week.” He claimed that over 200 North Korean soldiers had been killed in these operations.
Ukrainian outlet Kyiv Post reported, citing a HUR report, that “North Korean forces suffered significant losses near the villages of Plekhovo, Borozba, and Martynovka in the Kursk region on Dec. 14 and 15, at least 30 soldiers killed or wounded.” The report read that North Korean army units had to be replenished after these losses.
Drone footage shared by the Ukrainian military on Telegram and local media on Dec. 15 appeared to show rows of bodies presumed to be North Korean soldiers, supporting Ukraine’s claims about the recent operations.
