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North Korean troops sustaining ‘heavy casualties’ in Ukraine war.
Defence Secretary John Healey further hints at UK sending troops to Ukraine for training mission – amid fears they could be targeted by Russia
North Korea is suffering “heavy casualties” on the front line with Ukraine as Russia pursues a First World War-style battle plan against Kyiv’s forces, Western officials have said.
Some 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region to seize back territory taken by Ukraine over the summer, and hundreds have recently taken part in offensive operations, insiders said.
But officials claim that a lack of training, unfamiliar terrain and poor communication with Russian officers due to the language barrier has led to them sustaining heavy injuries and losses on the battlefield.
The claims came as Defence Secretary John Healey gave a further hint that the UK could send troops to Ukraine to take part in training of soldiers.
Downing Street insisted that there would not be any UK combat troops deployed in the war. But a Western official conceded that any UK personnel which did take part in training in Ukraine would risk being targeted by Russia.
South Korea reported on Thursday that more than 100 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine and there are claims that Pyongyang is planning to send more soldiers to add to the 11,000 deployment.
A Western official could not comment on the numbers killed but said “given the Russian tactics, which are pretty much a World War One-type approach of infantry assaults with heavy artillery and drones, it would be unsurprising if the North Koreans are suffering, and do suffer, quite heavy casualties”.
The involvement of North Korea in the battlefield against Ukraine has fuelled fears of the conflict tipping into a global war.
British Armed Forces are already training Ukrainian soldiers in the UK as part of an international operation to support Kyiv’s battle with Russia, and a small contingent have been in Ukraine for some time.
Healey, who visited Kyiv this week, suggested that UK troops might be sent to Ukraine itself to conduct the training of forces there. He told The Times the UK needed to “make the training a better fit for what the Ukrainians need”.
Asked if this meant extending training of Ukrainian recruits inside the UK to Ukraine itself, he said: “We will look wherever we can to respond to what the Ukrainians want. They are the ones fighting.”
A Western official declined to comment further on whether UK troops would be sent to Ukraine, but asked whether there would be consideration of the security risk, the official added: “I think it’s fair to say that the Russians would target any kind of Western assistance inside Ukraine.”
Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “As set out under the previous government, we have a small number of trainers and British troops in Ukraine that support the armed forces of Ukraine and our diplomatic presence.
“As the Foreign Secretary said recently, we’re very clear that we stand ready and continue to support Ukrainians, with training particularly, it’s been a long standing position.
“But we’re also very clear that we are not sending any UK troops to fight alongside the Ukrainian armed forces. Our focus remains putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position going into the winter, and supporting Ukraine’s defence from Russia’s barbaric onslaught.”
Earlier, Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard told MPs “2025 will be a “critical year for the war” in Ukraine.
He added that as part of the £3bn in annual support the UK was giving to Ukraine there will be a “notable gear-shift in January, when we commence delivery of tens of thousands of drones through the Maritime and Drone Capability Coalition that the UK is leading with our Norwegian and Latvian partners”.
