Servicemembers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade have detailed the capture of a North Korean soldier in the Kursk region, who attempted to commit suicide to avoid captivity as the Airborne Assault Forces wrote on Telegram.
The post said: “It’s no secret that servicemen from North Korea do not surrender—they are willing to commit suicide to avoid being captured by Ukrainian soldiers.”
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According to soldiers from the 95th Brigade, the intense assault by DPRK forces began early in the morning and lasted until evening.
A paratrooper with a call sign “Ded” [Grandpa] described the heavy onslaught, while another soldier, Serhiy, highlighted the critical role of drones:
“The drones helped a lot. Operators told us where the North Koreans were trying to enter the tree line. The drone drops and our mortar support were very effective,” he said.
Despite the ferocity of the assault, Ukrainian forces held their position until reinforcements arrived. Realizing their advance had failed, the DPRK soldiers began to retreat.
The Ukrainians then pushed back the remaining troops using grenade launchers, machine guns, and mortars, supported by a Canadian-made Roshel armored vehicle.
After the battle, a drone operator spotted a body moving and directed the paratroopers to the spot. The team initially thought the individual was a wounded Ukrainian due to the AFU scarf he wore, but upon closer inspection, they realized his uniform and armor were not Ukrainian.
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The soldier, a North Korean, carried a grenade and a knife on his vest. The Ukrainian troops gestured for him to disarm. Among his belongings, they found a sausage—likely a ration he carried into battle.
Ded reported that the prisoner had injuries to his jaw and arm and speculated that someone had helped him, as he couldn’t have treated his wounds alone with just one functional hand.
The paratroopers brought the prisoner to a location where they waited for transport. Despite remaining calm at first, the North Korean soldier panicked when the vehicle arrived.
“We arrived at the point and waited for the car,” Ded said. “The prisoner was very calm. But when the car pulled up, he got scared. We almost had to forcibly take him out of the trench.”
The prisoner then ran toward a concrete pillar near the road, crashing his head into it at full speed. He likely lost consciousness, as he stopped moving afterward. Despite this, the paratroopers managed to load him into the vehicle.
Another AFU soldier, Pavlo later reported that their comrades radioed to confirm the prisoner had been received safely. He was provided with medical assistance, given food, and even requested to have films in Korean played for him.
Pavlo also remarked on the inferior quality of the DPRK troop equipment compared to the Ukrainians, while Serhiy likened the North Korean tactics to those used by Russians early in the war.
“They’re trying to crush us with numbers. There’s no special tactic,” said Serhiy.
“They fight like the Soviet army. They didn’t retreat until the very last critical moment—when our reinforcement group arrived, and we outnumbered them. By then, they already had wounded and dead,” Serhiy added,
Numerous reports suggest DPRK soldiers have standing orders not to surrender. Some are killed by their comrades to prevent capture, while others take their lives, slitting their wrists or detonating grenades.
Pavlo said, “They fight hard and fast. The guys are young and athletic. Some have been in the DPRK army for many years.”
The paratroopers’ accounts align with those of Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO), who recently captured another North Korean soldier.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a team from Ukraine’s 8th SSO Regiment encountered a young, wounded North Korean soldier during a battle. After repelling an attack, the team discovered the injured soldier lying on the ground with a leg wound, abandoned by his comrades.
Upon seeing the Ukrainian troops, the soldier brandished a hand grenade, waving it in the air. The team commander, a captain known by the call sign “Green,” cautiously approached the man, trying to de-escalate the situation. He began speaking phrases in Korean he had learned for such encounters, then switched to Russian and used hand gestures to assure the soldier of their peaceful intentions.
Green recalled saying, “Brother, everything’s all right,” later adding, “We treated him like a child. We didn’t want him to hurt himself.” The team was acutely aware that the grenade could also pose a fatal risk to them.
After some tense moments, the North Korean soldier, who reportedly indicated he had been injured by a drone strike, eventually surrendered the grenade. The Ukrainian troops treated his wound and prepared him for evacuation.
These two North Korean prisoners were captured in the Kursk region, as reported by Kyiv Post on Jan. 11. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the troops for their actions, emphasizing that the prisoners were receiving proper medical care following international law.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) described the captures as “irrefutable evidence of North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” despite Pyongyang’s denials.
A South Korean official, cited by The Wall Street Journal, highlighted the immense risks Ukrainian forces take when capturing North Koreans, noting that these soldiers often choose death over captivity. The official added that both Russia and North Korea are actively concealing the number of North Korean casualties in Putin’s war.
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