“Resilient and fit” • Changes the battlefield • The cutting edge
Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers are said to be fighting for Russia in the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Between 1,200 and 4,000 of these must have been killed or injured, according to assessors.
At least one captured North Korean soldier has testified that the losses in the war were high.
But at the same time, the large amount of soldiers from the northern half of the Korean peninsula has made a big impression on the battlefield, above all in the Russian region of Kursk where Ukraine previously celebrated triumphs.
Ukrainian Yuri, who was part of the “Galician Lions” brigade, was one of the first to encounter the North Korean soldiers. In a recent post on Facebook, he emphasized the importance of not underestimating them.
“They are extremely resilient, extremely fit and morally strong,” he wrote according to Kyiv Post.
Shot down loads of drones
The troops from Pyongyang must above all be skilled at shooting down drones. The tactic of having one group act as a decoy and attract attention, while another shoots down the drones with their own weapons, has been successful.
“The number of drones they shot down using simple firearms is surprising,” described Jurij.
Several other Ukrainian soldiers have testified that the fighting in Kursk has become significantly more violent since the North Koreans arrived.
A Ukrainian commander has described the paramilitary Wagner group as “children” compared to the North Koreans, who on several occasions surprised with dynamic attacks – despite being outnumbered.
Blowing themselves up
In a dormitory block believed to have belonged to a slain North Korean soldier, a tribute to dictator Kim Jong-Un was written down.
“Even if it costs me my life, I will carry out the Supreme Commander’s order without hesitation,” it read.
A picture underscored by reports that the North Koreans left their wounded to die in the field – and blew themselves up as Ukrainian troops approached.
“Dependence on military aid from North Korea”
At the time of writing, Ukraine has captured three North Korean soldiers. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opened up to discussing a prisoner exchange – while stating that even more will undoubtedly be captured.
“There should be no doubt in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military aid from North Korea,” he wrote on X.