North Korean troopers satisfied they’re combating South Koreans in Ukraine
Two North Korean prisoners of war have revealed that the officers running their battalion told them that South Koreans were operating the drones used in the war against Ukraine
North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine have allegedly been told they are fighting South Korean militaries, as well as Ukrainians.
Chosun Daily, a South Korean newspaper, quoted the claims of two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January.
The prisoners of war said troops dispatched by Pyongyang were invigorated in morale and aggression to fight on behalf of the Kremlin because they thought they were fighting South Korean troops.
In 2024, Kim Jong Un sent around 12,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces.
The two prisoners of war were part of a battalion of 500 soldiers, supervised by two officers from Pyongyang’s State Security Ministry.
These officers allegedly informed the troops that the Ukrainian drones were being controlled and operated by South Korean military.
Despite being an ally of Ukraine, South Korea has abstained from sending military aid to Kyiv during the war.
The two prisoners of war captured in January were the first soldiers taken alive since North Korean troops joined Russia ’s war efforts. They were given fake identities, saying they were from a remote region of Siberia.
At the time they were captured, Zelensky said: “Usually, Russians and other North Korean soldiers finish off their wounded and do everything to prevent evidence of the participation of another state in the war against Ukraine from being preserved.”
It is reported that North Korean soldiers have been conditioned to take extreme measures, including detonating grenades to take their own lives, rather than be captured.
South Korean intelligence suggests that despite the heavy casualties, Pyongyang is preparing to deploy additional troops and military equipment to the conflict. The estimated death toll for North Korean soldiers stands at approximately 300, with around 2,700 reported injured.
In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that approximately 4,000 North Korean soldiers.
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