South Korea says at least 100 North Koreans have died in the Ukraine war

On Monday, a US Pentagon spokesman said North Koreans had been killed, without giving any figures, and a day later an unnamed US official said “several hundred” had been killed or wounded.

The BBC has not independently confirmed the claims.

The North Korean troops, none of whom have previous combat experience, are believed to have spent their first weeks in Russia in training and then in support roles.

The casualties are believed to have occurred in Russia’s Kursk region, where the Ukrainians are defending a small area they seized during hostilities. surprise attack in August.

Last Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had started using a “significant number” of North Koreans in its Kursk offensive.

They are not believed to be deployed in Ukraine itself, where Russian troops have been advancing in the east of the country in recent months.