'At least 100 North Koreans killed' in Russia war

At least 100 North Koreans deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker Lee Sung-kwon told reporters Thursday.

Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia's military, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this year.

"In December, they (North Korean troops) engaged in actual combat, during which at least 100 fatalities occurred," said Lee.

"The National Intelligence Service also reported that the number of injured is expected to reach nearly 1,000."

Lee added there were indications that "several North Korean casualties, including high-ranking officials, had already occurred due to Ukraine's missile and drone attacks, as well as training accidents".

The NIS said the high number of casualties could be attributed to the "unfamiliar battlefield environment, where North Korean forces are being utilised as expendable frontline assault units, and their lack of capability to counter drone attacks," said Lee.

He added that "within the Russian military, complaints have reportedly surfaced that the North Korean troops, due to their lack of knowledge about drones, are more of a burden than an asset".

Lee also said the NIS had heard rumors of additional troop deployments circulating within North Korea's "Storm Corps".

"They (NIS) are closely monitoring the possibility of further North Korean troop deployments, while also predicting that Russia might offer reciprocal benefits, such as modernising North Korea's conventional weaponry," said Lee.

The report comes after a senior US military official said Tuesday that North Korean forces have suffered "several hundred" casualties fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region.

The official's comments came after Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Russia had used North Korean troops at the heart of an "intensive offensive" in Kursk over several days.

North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defense pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June came into force earlier this month.

Experts say the nuclear-armed North's leader, Kim Jong Un, is keen to acquire advanced technology from Russia and battle experience for his troops.

UK to supply £225m in military equipment to Ukraine

Britain on Thursday unveiled a package of £225 million ($286 million) in new military aid to Ukraine for next year, including drones, boats and air defence systems.

The move came after the UK's Defence Secretary John Healey visited Kyiv on Wednesday, holding talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov and vowing to step up British support to Ukraine in 2025.

Three years since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine "the depths of his miscalculation are clearer than ever, as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit," Healey said.

"But they cannot go it alone," Healey added, vowing the UK's support for Kyiv was "ironclad" and Britain would always stand "shoulder to shoulder to ensure Putin cannot win".

In July, the new Labour government vowed to commit £3 billion a year in military aid to Ukraine until 2030-2031.

The new package will include £92 million for equipment to bolster Ukraine's navy, including small boats, reconnaissance drones and uncrewed surface vessels, the defence ministry said in a statement.

A further £68 million will be used for air defence equipment including radars, and 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems at a cost of £39 million would be supplied to the Ukrainian army.

Healey said the UK would also boost a training programme for Ukrainian soldiers run with key allies on British soil known as Operation Interflex, under which 51,000 recruits have been trained since mid-2022.

"With Putin resorting to sending as many as 2,000 Russian soldiers to their deaths on the battlefield each day, it is critical that Ukraine is supported with a supply of properly trained and equipped soldiers," the ministry statement said.

Umerov thanked the UK for its support and said in a statement that the "stable delivery of ammunition, especially for artillery, is critically important for our defence efforts".

He added the two men had reviewed the results of the use of Storm Shadow missiles, without providing details.

London gave Kyiv the green light to launch the UK-supplied, long-range missiles into Russia for the first time in November.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels late Wednesday to strategise over Russia's war ahead of Donald Trump's return to power in the United States.

Western backers are seeking to shore up Ukraine's forces as Kyiv's fatigued troops are losing ground across the frontline and Moscow has deployed North Koreans to the battlefield.