The two North Korean fighters captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region on Saturday were taken to Kyiv for medical treatment. The soldiers speak neither English nor Russian, so Ukrainian special services are working with the South Korean spy agency to communicate with them.
"One of them has expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine. The second one wants to return to Korea," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday.
"Suppose Kim Jong Un remembers these citizens of his and is capable of organizing an exchange for our warriors being held in Russia,” he added. "In that case, we are ready to transfer such soldiers. Undoubtedly, there will be more POWs from North Korea."
Ukraine’s elite forces continue to fight against both Russian and North Korean regular troops to keep a part of the Kursk region that Kyiv captured in a surprise offensive in August. The Ukrainian army launched another counteroffensive there on Jan. 5.
Some 12,000 North Korean troops reportedly joined the fight against Ukraine on the Kremlin’s side at the end of October to help push the Ukrainians out of Russia. Since then, Kyiv has reportedly lost about half of the 1,250 square kilometers it captured.
Around 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 2,700 wounded so far in the fight against Ukraine, the South Korean government in Seoul said on Monday. The numbers are difficult to verify, as neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have directly confirmed North Korean troops' participation in the war.
superduperuser101 on January 15th, 2025 at 15:57 UTC »
They will be the definition of inexperienced - NK hasn't fought a war since the 50s, likely without much training in modern warfare, and (at least according a defector account I read) fire very very little ammunition over the course of a year.
They are also fanatically motivated, very physically fit and likely represent some of NKs best human capital. Also due to very long service requirements and the fact all officers have to progress through NCO ranks first NK probably has more and better low level leadership than the Russians have.
The ability to stay in the fight, keep a clear head, have self belief and take calculated risks are all extremely important to warfare. Those factors can overcome technically more competent forces who may be lacking in those areas.
fuckingsignupprompt on January 15th, 2025 at 13:34 UTC »
“They demonstrate psychological resilience. Imagine, one runs and attracts attention and the other from an ambush shoots down a drone with aimed fire.”
Gimme_Your_Wallet on January 15th, 2025 at 13:02 UTC »
Ukrainian soldiers describe the North Korean soldiers as being very far from inexperienced cannon fodder.
“They are young, motivated, physically fit, brave, and good at using small arms. They are also disciplined. They have everything you need for a good infantryman,” Chepurnyi said.
Yuriy Bondar, a Ukrainian soldier with the 80th separate airborne assault brigade, said North Korean soldiers have extremely good physical training and have stable morale.
“The enemy does not surrender. They eliminate themselves according to the same scheme, a grenade near the head, and go. Those who remain on the battlefield are doused with flammable liquid and burned,” Bondar said in a post on Facebook on Sunday.