International
North Korean troops killed fighting Ukraine, says US
North Korean troops have been killed fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region, the US has said.
These would be the first reported casualties since it emerged in October that North Korea had sent around 10,000 troops to reinforce Russia’s war effort.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the GUR, has also said at least 30 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in fighting over the weekend.
The BBC has not independently verified the claims.
The North Korean troops, none of whom will have any previous combat experience, are believed to have spent their first weeks in Russia in training and then in support roles.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian had begun to use a “significant number” in its assaults in Kursk, part of which Ukraine has occupied since launching a surprise incursion in August.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said the US believed North Korean soldiers had “engaged in combat in Kursk alongside Russian forces” and “suffered casualties, both killed and wounded”.
He did not give specific numbers, but said the troops had been in combat since “a little over a week ago”.
He added it appeared the North Koreans were being used in infantry roles and that their involvement was thought so far to be limited to Kursk, implying that they have not been deployed in Ukraine itself.
Russian forces, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have been advancing in eastern parts of the country in recent months.
The GUR said the North Korean casualties had occurred on Saturday and Sunday in the Kursk villages of Plekhovo, Vorobzha, and Martynovka.
On Monday, President Zelensky posted drone footage on Telegram that showed a number of men taking cover behind trees, saying they were North Korean troops who had just taken part in an assault on a Ukrainian position.
He also posted footage which he said showed Russian troops trying to conceal the presence of North Koreans on the battlefield by using a campfire to burn the faces of those who had been killed.
“Ukraine’s Defense Forces and intelligence are working to determine the full extent of the actual losses suffered by Russian units that include North Koreans,” he said.
He added that there was “not a single reason for North Koreans to die in this war”.
The Kremlin referred questions about North Korean deaths to the Russian Ministry of Defence, which has made no comment.
Following reports of the deaths, the EU and countries including the UK, US, Australia and South Korea called Pyongyang’s involvement in the conflict a “dangerous expansion… with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security.”
Earlier this week, the US Treasury department announced sanctions on nine people and seven entities over their financial and military support to North Korea.
London, UK – April 4,2025 – The Social Rehabilitation Foundation UK (SRF-UK), an international humanitarian organization committed to sustainable development, today issued a global call for partnerships with NGOs, charities, and civil society organizations to address interconnected crises in poverty, education, women’s empowerment, and public health in vulnerable communities worldwide.
A Multidimensional Crisis Demanding Collective Action
SRF-UK’s latest research highlights alarming global disparities:
• 689 million people live in extreme poverty (World Bank)
• 258 million children remain out of school (UNESCO)
• 1 in 3 women experiences gender-based violence (WHO)
• 50% of the world’s population lacks essential health services (WHO/World Bank)
“These aren’t isolated issues but interconnected challenges requiring collaborative solutions,” said Mr.Asif , Director of SRF-UK. “From the local Desk, we need united action.”
Priority Areas for Partnership
SRF-UK seeks partners for:
1. Poverty Alleviation
• Microfinance initiatives
• Sustainable livelihood programs
• Emergency shelter projects
2. Education Revolution
• School construction in conflict zones
• Digital literacy programs
• Vocational training centers
3. Women’s Empowerment
• Gender-based violence prevention
• Economic inclusion programs
• Leadership development initiatives
4. Public Health Advancement
• Mobile health clinics
• Nutrition programs
• WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) projects
Why Partner With SRF-UK?
✔ Global Footprint: Active in 15 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
✔ Proven Model: 78% program success rate in sustainable interventions
✔ Local Expertise: 85% of field staff are community members
Join Our Global Network
NGOs, international organizations, and corporate social responsibility partners interested in collaboration may contact:
Partnerships Team
Email: info@srfoundation.uk
Website: www.srfoundation.uk/global-partnerships
“The Sustainable Development Goals won’t be achieved by any single organization. We need an alliance of change-makers,” Mr.Asif .
Available for Media:
• High-resolution photos/videos from our field operations
• Expert commentary on global development challenges
• Customized regional data snapshots
About Social Rehabilitation Foundation UK
A UK-registered working organization to create lasting change through education, economic empowerment, and health initiatives. SRF-UK has impacted over 2.3 million lives across 46 projects worldwide.
Michael Storc and his family had just survived a devastating wildfire.
Now they have to face a daunting new challenge that he had hoped to never experience again – the Los Angeles housing market.
After losing the Altadena home that he owned in the Eaton fire, he was scouring for a new place to rent, and having little luck.
“What’s available is not nice at all and the rents have gone up a lot,” Mr Storc told the BBC. “I told my teenage daughter we had to accept we would live somewhere not very nice.”
The Los Angeles area already has one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. And with thousands now displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires, Angelenos are anxious that the sudden surge in demand could make rents and home prices soar even higher.
California has an anti-price gouging law that prevents landlords from raising rents more than 10% after the governor declares an emergency. It applies to both existing and tenants and new leases.
Follow live updates
LA brain surgeon saves street from fires
Many Los Angeles County buildings are also covered by rent stabilisation laws, which prevent landlords from raising the rent for existing tenants above a certain percentage even in normal circumstances.
“It is illegal. You cannot do it,” California attorney general Rob Bonta said at a Saturday press conference. “It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines.”
Not everyone was certain that the law would be completely enforceable, however.
“We’re aware of that but my question is, how is that being regulated? And who’s monitoring that?” said Jessica Heredia, a realtor based in the high-end Brentwood neighbourhood for the last 20 years.
A Los Angeles brain surgeon who fought for almost a week to save the houses on his street from wildfires told the BBC he spent 15 years preparing for such an event.
Malibu resident Dr Chester Griffiths, 62, ignored evacuation orders to keep flames from the Palisades fire at bay with the help of his son and neighbour, until emergency services were able to reach them.
“We had always known that a fire would come someday – but we didn’t know when,” Dr Griffiths told the BBC’s Today Programme.
“We never fathomed it would be this catastrophic and apocalyptic.”
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