"Misunderstanding"

Kiev: Russians shot dead by North Koreans in Kursk

Ukrainian offensive on Russian territory in the Kursk region. (symbolic image)

(Bild: APA/AFP/Russian Defence Ministry)

In Kursk, North Korean soldiers are said to have opened fire on their Russian colleagues following a serious mix-up, reports the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR). According to the report, eight mercenaries from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's Akhmat battalion, which is also allied with the Russians, were killed.

According to HUR, the fatal "friendly fire" was triggered by the language barrier between North Koreans and Russians. A resulting confusion led to the North Koreans firing on several of the Akhmat unit. Eight soldiers from Vladimir Putin's army were killed as a result.

High losses for Russia and its allies
The incident is said to have taken place on Saturday. According to Kiev, around 200 soldiers fighting for Russia were killed that day alone in Kursk, Russia, which the Ukrainians had invaded as part of a counter-offensive and have since partially occupied.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had also previously stated in his evening video address that numerous soldiers from North Korea were apparently fighting in the Kursk region and suffering "considerable" losses in the process. He did not give any specific figures.

North Koreans have been deployed against Ukraine for months
Rumors that North Korea is supporting Russia with soldiers in the war against Ukraine first circulated in October, with the first battles against the Ukrainian army reportedly taking place in November. Selensky fears that the North Koreans will also be on other fronts.

Russian drones largely shot down
According to the Ukrainian authorities, another Russian drone attack was largely repelled in Ukraine itself on Sunday night. According to the Ukrainian military, the air defense destroyed 56 of 108 Russian drones. A further 49 drones disappeared from the radar and were presumably intercepted by the electronic air defense. However, debris from destroyed drones damaged an unspecified infrastructure facility as well as residential buildings and houses.