North Korean special forces seize Ukraine village 'killing 300 and taking no prisoners'

North Korean special forces supporting Vladimir Putin are reported to have raided the village of Plekhovo, killing more than 300 Ukrainian troops and taking 'no prisoners'

North Korean troops have seized their first village in their fight against Ukrainian forces, according to reports .

The special forces troops took Plekhovo, which had a prewar population of 627, from Ukrainian forces occupying the Kursk region of Russia, according to pro-Russia Telegram War channel Romanov Light. More than 300 troops from Ukraine were killed in the attack, it is claimed, with the North Koreans reportedly choosing not take to take any prisoners.

Russian military blogger Vladimir Romanov wrote: "The settlement was taken exclusively by the North Korean Special Operations Forces - in 2 hours. They passed through like a hurricane, [and] did not take prisoners. The enemy lost more than 300 servicemen."

The village of Plekhovo fell on December 6. Another source, former Ukrainian MP Oleg Tsarev, who is now a Putin propagandist, echoed the claim about North Korea's first military success in the war. He said: "Our friends have once again proven themselves. They are armed only with light weapons."

Russian war correspondent Yuri Kotenok said the village "was indeed taken by fighters of the Korean special forces. They walked [more than a mile] through a minefield, broke into the village with lightning speed and destroyed the occupation contingent.

Aerial footage allegedly shows North Korean troops in Plekhovo, Russia fighting against Ukraine

"The operation took about two and a half hours. They took their [dead and wounded] with them. According to some information, there were no prisoners. They will not take them in the future either."

A video claims to show North Korean troops in Plekhovo as they secured Russian control of the village. Some 12,000 North Korean troops are reported to be assisting Russians in Kursk region, seeking to grab back territory held by Ukraine's armed forces this year in a shock offensive. They have been ordered to fight thousands of miles from home by leader Kim Jong Un.

However, some Russians have disputed the claims by the pro-Putin war correspondents - and claim the North Koreans were not involved in taking Plekhovo. One anonymous Russian fighter said: "I see. We and our colleagues who entered the village are now Koreans. I'll go study the works of comrade Kims and eat Kimchi."