Some 2,300 North Korean soldiers died in Russia-Ukraine war, new images show

An estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveThousands of North Koreans fought for Russia. A memorial hints at the death toll2 days agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSoram Cheon,BBC News KoreanandAghnia Adzkia,East Asia Visual JournalismBBCNorth Korea has never disclosed the death toll of the operation in KurskAbout 2,300 North Korean soldiers have died fighting for Russia against Ukraine, according to a BBC investigation based on satellite images and official photos of a new memorial in Pyongyang.

South Korea estimates at least 11,000 North Koreans were sent to Russia to help recapture parts of western Kursk, after Ukraine launched a surprise incursion in Kursk in August 2024.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has previously publicly paid tribute to soldiers who died in the war - and it is believed that in return for providing soldiers, Pyongyang received food, money and technical help from Moscow.

The secretive regime has never disclosed the death toll of the operation in Kursk, which Russia says it has fully reclaimed - but for the first time, a new memorial offers observable clues - here's what they tell us.

In October 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the construction of a museum in Pyongyang's Hwasong district to honour the troops killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.