A senior North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian strike in the Kursk area, a Western official said Thursday.
It is the first time that Western officials have confirmed that a high-ranking North Korean military officer has become a casualty in the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.
More than 10,000 North Korean troops are deployed in Russia’s Kursk region as the Kremlin tries to repel Ukrainian troops who mounted an offensive there in August, U.S. officials say.
The White House has condemned Moscow’s use of North Korean soldiers and warned last month they could be targeted by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine launched at least 10 British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Kursk on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.
The Western official didn’t say how the senior North Korean officer was wounded. North Korea’s mission to the United Nations didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said in October any North Korean troops that fought in Ukraine will become “fair game and fair targets” for the Ukrainians.