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North Korean General Kim Yong Bok, First DPRK Casualty, Wounded in Ukrainian Strike

Nov 21, 2024, 06:43 PM

A senior North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian strike in Russia's Kursk region, a Western official said on Thursday, according to The Wall Street Journal. This marks the first time that a high-ranking North Korean military officer has been confirmed as a casualty in the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, one of North Korea's top ten military figures and leader of its special forces, often acts as an aide to Kim Jong Un. He has been leading over 11,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to support Russian forces since August. The Ukrainian strike, reportedly involving British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, targeted a command post in the Kursk area. In addition to the general's injury, 13 sappers were wounded when unexploded ordnance detonated during the aftermath. The White House had previously warned that North Korean troops in Russia would be 'fair game' for Ukrainian forces.