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| North Korean soldiers in military drills | Photo: KCNA/Reuters |
North Korean troops are suffering heavy casualties while participating in Russia's war against Ukraine.
In the last week, 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in the battle in the Kursk region of Russia.
White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
The number cited by John Kirby is much higher than the figures previously given by US officials regarding North Korean military casualties in Russia's war in Ukraine.
John Kirby said it was clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders considered these troops expendable. They were ordering them to launch desperate attacks against Ukrainian defenses.
North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on John Kirby's remarks, while Russia's UN mission declined to comment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily nightly video address that North Korean forces had suffered "very significant" losses. Russian forces were sending them into battle with minimal protective equipment.
Volodymyr Zelensky said they see no interest from the Russian military or North Korean handlers in ensuring the survival of these North Korean soldiers.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces were able to capture some North Korean soldiers. He said, however, that they were seriously injured. It was not possible to save their lives.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said North Koreans should not lose their lives in a war in Europe. He said that if China is serious about not escalating this war, Beijing must apply appropriate pressure on Pyongyang.