4,000 North Korean Troops Killed or Wounded in Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the 25th Ramstein meeting revealed that North Korea has already lost 4,000 troops—killed or wounded—in the ongoing war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media Interfax on January 9.

“Putin is not just holding on to his investments in aggression; he’s doubling down. He’s even started, basically, hiring soldiers from North Korea to keep this war going,” Zelenskyy stated.

He described Pyongyang’s involvement as a dangerous strategy, one where North Korea gains experience in modern warfare while showing little regard for the lives of its soldiers.

“They do not value their people, and we know it, they lose them – 4,000 as for today. But Pyongyang gets experience cheap to re-export the war, maybe there in the Indo-Pacific,” Zelenskyy warned.

The Ukrainian President also underscored the symbolic weakness of Putin’s government in seeking military assistance from Pyongyang.

“At the same time, this collusion with North Korea shows Putin’s weakness – because no ruler in Moscow would ever lower themselves to beg in Pyongyang unless facing critical problems,” he said, urging Ukraine’s allies to maintain and increase pressure on Russia.

Zelenskyy called for harsher sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, emphasizing the need to cut off the Kremlin’s financial resources.

“That’s what sanctions are for. And I’m asking all our partners – especially the US and the EU – to turn up the heat on Russia’s energy sector. Sanctions are needed against every element of Russian energy, and the Russian tanker fleet must be stopped. Russia’s war budget for 2025 is 25% bigger than last year’s. If we want to stop the killing, we’ve got to cut off Putin’s cash flow,” he said.

He stressed that Putin would only consider peace once his inner circle acknowledged that the war was no longer sustainable.

“Putin will start thinking about peace only when his inner circle tells him he’s out of money,” Zelenskyy stated, urging allies, particularly the United States and the European Union, to ramp up their economic pressure on Moscow.

Zelenskyy concluded with a message of unity and determination, calling the war’s end a shared goal of Ukrainians, Europeans, Americans, and global partners.

“I do everything I can to end this war with dignity for Ukraine and all of Europe this year. And I know I can count on your support,” he concluded.

Earlier, the Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, warned that North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine provides its forces with valuable combat experience, significantly boosting their readiness for potential military actions against neighboring countries, Reuters reports.