Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Monday more than 3,000 troops from North Korea have been killed so far fighting next to Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded fighting for Moscow in Russia's western Kursk region.

"Through various sources of information and intelligence, we assess that North Korean troops who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces have suffered around 1,100 c

More than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war, claims Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president alleged that the North Korean military had suffered such high casualties within weeks of being thrown into battle in attempts to recapture a swathe of the Kursk region of Russia seized by Kyiv troops in a surprise attack in the summer.

North Korean troops have reportedly suffered heavy casualties while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, according to South Korea 's spy agency, which also claimed to have detected signs of Pyongyang preparing to send additional soldiers and kamikaze drones to Moscow.