CNN —Ukraine said on Monday that North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops suffered heavy losses during fighting at the weekend in the Russian region of Kursk. North Korean units that arrived in Kursk last month were involved in assaults at the weekend near three villages, according to Ukraine’s defense intelligence service. Since the beginning of December, North Korean troops appear to have been playing a more prominent role on the front lines in Kursk, especially as infantry. Ukraine estimates that about 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in the region trying to assist Russian units in recovering parts of Kursk taken in a Ukrainian offensive in August. Butusov said that North Korean infantry was backed by “massive fire support” from Russian units, as well as electronic warfare against Ukrainian drones.

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Persons: Plekhovo, –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Yuriy Butusov, Butusov, ” Butusov Organizations: CNN, Russian, North Korean, Korean, Facebook Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Kursk, North, Plekhovo, Ukrainian