North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region have been ordered to kill themselves if they are at risk of being captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
“North Korea has stressed to its soldiers to kill themselves to avoid being captured alive by the Ukrainian military,” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported Monday, citing officials from the NIS.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
According to the South Korean intelligence reports, by the beginning of January, approximately 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed in combat, and about 2,700 were injured. The high casualty rate is attributed to the soldiers’ inability to effectively use modern warfare tactics, including futile shooting at long-range drones.
Pyongyang troops struggle with drones and other elements of modern warfare, and they are often sent for meat assaults by Russian commanders without rear-fire support, the news report says.
Kyiv first reported the deployment of North Korean soldiers to the Kursk region in October 2024.
Ukraine captured its first North Korean troop in late December, but he soon succumbed to his injury.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Ukraine has captured two more North Korean soldiers. One was seized on Jan 9, by the 84th Tactical Group of the Special Operations Forces, and the other by Ukrainian paratroopers.
At the time of capture, one of the soldiers was carrying a Russian-issued military ID registered to someone else from the Republic of Tuva. The other soldier had no documents.
US, Armenia Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement
During interrogation, the North Korean soldier with the ID stated that it was issued to him in Russia in the fall of 2024. He also mentioned that part of the North Korean military underwent training with Russian forces for one week.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
