Forbes: North Korean forces conduct large infantry assaults in Kursk Oblast
Despite heavy losses, multiple infantry waves involving nearly 500 personnel allowed North Koreans to eject Ukrainian defenders from Plekhovo village in Russia.
North Korean forces fighting alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast may have suffered significant casualties during an attack on the village of Plekhove on Saturday. According to Ukrainian sources, including journalist Andriy Tsaplienko and local government officials, the North Korean units potentially lost up to 4% of their total strength in a single engagement, Forbes reports.
North Korean troops appear to be attacking with large infantry groups, involving dozens of soldiers in each attack wave. With little mechanized support and suffering heavy casualties, these assault groups managed to achieve tactical gains with a large number of troops.
The attack, reportedly carried out by elements of North Korea’s 92nd and 94th Separate Special Operations Brigades, eventually succeeded in capturing Plekhove from its Ukrainian defenders in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. However, the victory came at a heavy cost. Ukrainian sources suggest that up to half of the approximately 500 North Korean troops involved in the assault became casualties.
According to Tsaplienko’s reporting, supported by video evidence, the North Korean forces conducted their attack in broad daylight, advancing on foot across open fields. Ukrainian defenders reported that the North Korean soldiers attacked “en masse” or “in a crowd,” making them vulnerable to Ukrainian drones and artillery fire.
The battle took place along the eastern edge of a 250-square-mile salient that Ukrainian forces established in Kursk Oblast in August. The Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies noted that some details of the engagement are still being verified.
Related:
- Breaking: Moscow assassination eliminates Russian chemical warfare chief wanted by Ukraine
- Ukrainian defenders push Russian forces out of Kolisnykivka in Kharkiv Oblast – DeepState
- Storm claims third Russian vessel near occupied Crimea as Greenpeace urges action over oil spill
- Russia lost more heavy equipment in Pokrovsk than in Stalingrad
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.
We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.
