A destroyed tank with Russia’s war symbol “V” on it, in Bohorodychne village, Donetsk Oblast Ukraine, on January 27, 2024. (Roman Pilipey / AFP through Getty Images).
According to Kyiv, the Russian forces suffered their second-deadliest day since the beginning of the full scale invasion of Ukraine.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported 1,630 Russian casualties in the past day on October 25. This number is higher than the previous second highest tally of 1.530, which was only set last week.
The bloodiest day in the history of Moscow’s forces occurred on May 13 when they suffered 1,740 reported casualties.
The Kyiv Independent was unable to independently verify the figures, but the general consensus is that they include dead, wounded, missing and captured.
Russia, facing a shortage of men and the pressing need to maintain the grinding progress in eastern Ukraine, has reportedly sent some of its best-trained troops into mass infantry assaults, at great cost.
According to a U.K. report published on September 23, “the past four months have proven the most costly for Russian forces since war began in 2022.”
North Korean troops reported deployed as Russian losses increase
Some experts believe that the recent surge in losses may be a factor in the deployment of North Korean forces to Russia.
John Foreman CBE (the former U.K. defense attache to Moscow from 2019-2022) told the Kyiv Independent that “the disclosure that North Korean soldiers may appear on front line is directly a consequence of catastrophic Russian injuries,” last week.
“Their military efficiency is questionable, and they will be cannon-fodder for Ukrainian defenders.”
The Netherlands confirmed the deployment of North Korean forces on October 25, claiming that at least 1,500 troops will be stationed within the Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine still controls a large area after an August incursion.
According to Reuters, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brkelmans stated that the troops would be mainly deployed in Kursk. They will consist of mainly Special Units from the North Korean Army.
He said that Russia was likely testing its troops and gauging the international reaction.
After reports from Ukraine and South Korea, the U.S. confirmed for the first time on October 23 that it had evidence that Pyongyang soldiers were being sent to Russia.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council of the United States, later said that they were “fair-game” for Ukrainian forces.
Kirby said at a White House press briefing that if they did deploy to fight against Ukraine they would be fair game and fair targets. The Ukrainian military would defend themselves against North Koreans the same way it defends itself against Russian soldiers.
“And the possibility that there may be dead or wounded North Korean soldiers…is absolutely real if these soldiers are deployed.” Kirby revealed the details of U.S. Intelligence assessments, stating that Washington believes North Korea has “moved a minimum of 3000 soldiers to eastern Russia.”
He said: “These soldiers traveled to several Russian military training sites located in eastern Russia, where they are currently receiving training.”
Kirby said that it was too soon to say if they would “enter into combat alongside the Russian Military,” but added that it was a “highly worrying probability.”
In remarks to Russian state television on October 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that using North Korea’s soldiers in its war in Ukraine is “our business” and that if Kyiv wants to join NATO, then Moscow will do whatever it takes to ensure its safety.
“The sooner they realize that such an approach is futile in their relations with Russia, then it will be better for everyone and, perhaps, most importantly, for them,” he said.
“When we decide something, we decide… But it is our sovereign choice whether we apply it or not, whether it is needed,” he said in reference to the deployment by North Korean troops.
Chris York is the news editor of the Kyiv Independent. He was the head of news for the Kyiv Post before joining the team. He spent almost a decade in Britain working for HuffPost UK. He holds a MA in Conflict, Development, and Security, from the University of Leeds.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com