Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Friday that several North Korean soldiers, captured in Ukraine, succumbed to their injuries. These soldiers are reportedly the first North Koreans to be taken as prisoners of war in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Grim Losses on the Battlefield
“Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated,” Zelensky stated as per the reports of Leaders team. While the exact number of captured North Korean soldiers remains undisclosed, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed at least one wounded soldier had died from injuries.
North Korean troops are believed to have sustained heavy casualties while fighting alongside Russian forces in the western Kursk region, which has been a focal point of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. According to Ukrainian estimates, over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in Kursk.
Minimal Protection and High Casualties
Zelensky accused Russia of deploying North Korean troops with inadequate protection, leading to severe losses. “The Russian military and North Korean supervisors are not interested in the survival of these Koreans at all,” he said.
While neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially acknowledged North Korea’s involvement, intelligence from the United States, Ukraine, and South Korea suggests up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia, with many already engaged in combat.
Attempts to Conceal Involvement
According to the sources of Leaders team, Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of covering up North Korean troop losses. Zelensky revealed that Russian forces have resorted to extreme measures, including burning the faces of fallen North Korean soldiers to obscure their identities. Earlier, the Ukrainian military uncovered fake military identification documents with Russian aliases on North Korean soldiers killed in action.
Footage from October 2024 shows North Korean troops training at a Russian military facility, further corroborating their involvement. South Korea has labeled this a “grave security threat,” calling for heightened vigilance in response.
Strategic Alliance Between Russia and North Korea
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the alliance between Russia and North Korea in a letter to Kim Jong Un, referencing their mutual defense pact. Zelensky warned of the risk of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to Russia, further escalating the conflict.
This revelation underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics of the war, with Russia increasingly relying on foreign reinforcements amid mounting losses.
