Translator’s Note: What follows is a loosely translated information page from Mainland China discussing North Korea’s involvement in Kursk, Russia between November 2025 and August 2025 (10 months). This article dates to August 2025 – so more North Koreans could have died – but the number of “101” dying in combat is the number floating about the internet. I know from DPRK footage that there were numerous wounded and disabled – some in wheelchairs. I have no details about these numbers – but it might be considerably higher than the dead figure (barring a military disaster – the ratio of wounded to death is usually around 3-1 – so we might be looking at around 300 wounded). Whatever the case, the Chinese general public are probably accessing reliable data from North Korea. Whilst taking on the NATO forces disguised as Neo-Nazi Ukrainians – the North Koreans lost around 400 soldiers. It would be interesting to assess how many NATO-proxies the KPA neutralised. ACW (26.1.2026)
How fierce is the North Korean army fighting in Russia? The tenacity of fighting has the legacy of the volunteer army!
The total number of North Korean troops to Russia is expected to be between 12,000 and 18,000, of which 6,000 are for post-war reconstruction and mine clearance missions, and the rest are directly engaged in combat.
As of now (August 2025), it has been about 10 months since the North Korean army entered the war in Russia, and its publicly confirmed dead are about 101.
This casualty ratio is already very low in modern high-intensity warfare.
The Ukrainian front line is often a “meat grinder” with artillery coverage, drone reconnaissance, sniper and counter-sniper superimposed.
The fact that North Korean soldiers can maintain low casualties in such an environment shows that they not only have strict tactical discipline, but also have strong survival and adaptability.
North Korean soldiers fought tenaciously, and fulfilled the Volunteer Legacy for 2024-2025: Some soldiers blocked gun barrels with their hands, whilst other soldiers ran at the enemy guns. To the same end, there were still soldiers who walked through mine-fields.
What is even more surprising is that they used weapons that even the Russian army does not have, such as long-range anti-tank missiles, were actually brought to the battlefield by North Korea and applied by them in actual combat, destroying many Ukrainian tanks and armoured vehicles.
In addition, North Korean soldiers also tried out the Russian army’s “Lancet” loitering missile and other advanced equipment, accumulating modern precision strike tactical experience.
Many people think that the North Korean army is backward in equipment and poor in military force.
In fact, the individual quality of the North Korean army is very high, and its high-level battlefield adaptability is very strong.
After all, it is produced in the East Asian theatre, and it is pulled out and singled out, it is enough to crush any European country.
It’s only because their big brother next door (China) is too dazzling that their family doesn’t seem so outstanding.
The remains of the North Korean soldiers who died were taken by Russia Il 76 and transported back to China, the North Korean side practiced highest etiquette, with the coffin was covered with the national flag, all the top members of the North Korean military were dispatched, and Kim Jong-un personally picked them up.
Later, Kim Jong-un attended the national award ceremony to commend the commanders and fighters of the Korean People’s Army’s overseas combat units, awarded medals and delivered a speech, praising them as “heroes”.
In other words, North Korea is not just fighting, but also military might, international status, and domestic cohesion.
From the perspective of practical interests, this battle is not only in exchange for a large amount of foreign exchange, food, energy aid, and military technical support, but most importantly, what North Korea desires, which is the valuable experience of modern warfare.
They are fighting not only for Russia, but also for their own national interests.
With these valuable experiences, they may be used to deal with threats from the United States and South Korea in the future.
For example, by participating in the anti-drone operation in Kursk, North Korea can optimize its air defense systems and training models to avoid being crushed by technology in future conflicts.
Some people may not understand that when the U.S. military approached the Yalu River, China sent its Volunteers Troops to defend the country;
And now that North Korea defending itself by aiding Russia.
Without North Korea’s assistance, Russia might well be defeated and NATO will successfully cross the Ural Mountains into the Asian border, then the whole of East Asia will be within the threat range of others.
Furthermore, if the Russian army collapses, the United States may free up its hands to increase pressure on North Korea.
Therefore, in North Korea’s view, indirectly defending Russia is equivalent to defending itself.
In order not to be crushed by technology in future wars, and in order to adjust the direction of military construction and development in a timely manner, North Korea will participate in the war at any cost.
Through actual combat, they learn strategies for dealing with drone swarms, electronic warfare, and precision-guided weapons, which are invaluable to the long-sanctioned North Korean military.
It is worth mentioning that the DPRK and Russia officially signed the DPRK-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.
The treaty stipulates that when one of the two sides is at war due to armed aggression by an individual country or multiple countries, the other side shall immediately mobilize all means at its disposal to provide military and other assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and the laws of North Korea and Russia.
Based on this clause, North Korean forces were strictly limited to Russia Kursk Oblast to perform tasks within the territory, to avoid direct involvement in the Ukrainian mainland operation in Donbass.
Despite this, the operation has still boosted North Korea’s morale and impressed the international community.
Chinese Language Text:
朝鲜军队赴俄作战有多猛？打的顽强，有志愿军遗风！
一本正经地讲一些没用的知识
朝鲜军队赴俄作战有多猛？
先说伤亡率。
朝鲜军队赴俄罗斯的总人数预计在1.2万至1.8万人之间，其中有6000人是执行战后重建以及扫雷任务，其余则直接投入作战。
截至目前（2025年8月），朝鲜军队赴俄参战已约10个月，其公开确认的阵亡人数约为101人。
这个伤亡比例，在现代高强度战争中已经算非常低。
要知道，乌克兰前线往往是炮火覆盖、无人机侦察、狙击与反狙击叠加的“绞肉机”。
朝鲜士兵能在这样的环境下维持低伤亡，说明他们不仅有严格的战术纪律，还具备较强的生存和适应能力。
再说战斗力。
朝鲜士兵打的顽强，有当年志愿军遗风：有人堵枪眼，有人用光荣弹同归于尽，还有人肉身趟地雷。
更让意外的是，甚至俄军都没有的武器，比如远程反坦克导弹，朝鲜居然带到了战场并进行了实战应用，击毁了乌克兰多辆坦克和装甲车。
此外，朝鲜士兵还试用了俄军的“柳叶刀”巡飞弹等先进装备，积累了现代精确打击战术经验。
很多人以为朝鲜军队装备落后、穷兵黩武。
事实上，朝鲜军队的单兵素质还是很高的，高水平战场适应力也很强。
毕竟是东亚怪物房出品，拉出来单挑的话，足以碾压欧洲任何一个国家。
只因他们隔壁大哥太耀眼，才显得他们家没那么出众。
最后再说意义。
牺牲的朝鲜军人遗体由俄罗斯伊尔76运送回国，朝鲜这边给了最高礼仪，棺椁上全部盖国旗，朝鲜军方最高层全员出动，金正恩亲自接机。
之后，金正恩更是出席表彰朝鲜人民军海外作战部队指战员的国家授奖仪式，颁发勋章并发表讲话，称赞他们为“英雄”。
换句话说，朝鲜打的不只是仗，而是军威、是国际地位、也是国内凝聚力。
从实际利益上看，这一仗不单是换回大量外汇、粮食、能源援助、军事技术支持，还有最重要的一点是朝鲜渴望的，就是现代战争的宝贵经验。
他们不单是为俄罗斯战斗，也是为了自己国家利益而战斗。
有了这些宝贵的经验，未来可能用于应对美韩威胁。
比如，通过参与库尔斯克的反无人机作战，朝鲜能优化其防空系统和训练模式，避免未来冲突中被技术碾压。
有人可能不理解，当年美军逼近鸭绿江，志愿军出兵是保家卫国；
而如今朝鲜援助俄罗斯，又是在保哪个家、卫哪个国？
保家卫国，并不是非得敌人直接逼近到你跟前，你再出兵。
如果少了朝鲜的援助，导致俄罗斯被打垮，让北约成功越过乌拉尔山脉进入亚洲地界，那么，整个东亚都在人家的威胁范围内了。
别看中间还隔了一个东大，但从两层屏障变为一层，朝鲜的国家安全缓冲区将显著缩小。
所以，这么看算不算国家安全受损呢？
再者说，如果俄军崩溃，美国可能腾出手来加大对朝鲜施压。
所以，在朝鲜看来，间接保卫俄罗斯，就等于保卫自己。
为了在未来的战争里不被技术碾压，为了及时调整军队建设发展方向，朝鲜不惜代价也要参战。
通过实战，他们学会了应对无人机集群、电子战和精确制导武器的策略，这对长期受制裁的朝鲜军队而言，是无价之宝。
值得一提，朝俄双方已于2024年正式签订《朝俄关于全面战略伙伴关系条约》。
该条约规定，双方中哪一方受到个别国家或多国的武装侵犯而处于战争状态时，另一方依据联合国宪章第５１条和朝鲜俄罗斯的法律，立即调动自己拥有的一切手段提供军事及其他援助。
基于此条款，朝鲜部队严格限于俄罗斯库尔斯克州境内执行任务，避免直接卷入乌克兰本土作战。
尽管如此，这次行动仍打出了朝鲜的士气，让国际社会刮目相看。
发布于 2025-08-24 10:00・安徽
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 