Images of North Korean Soldiers Killed in Kursk Revealed
"Russia Using North Korean Troops as 'Cannon Fodder'"
North Korean soldiers believed to have been killed in action in the Kursk region of Russia. InformNapalm Telegram
Images of North Korean soldiers who appear to have died in combat on the front lines of Kursk Oblast in western Russia have been captured.
On the 12th (local time), Ukrainian military media Defense Express reported that the pro-Ukraine international civic group InformNapalm released a video showing North Korean soldiers who died in the Kursk region of Russia. In the video, the fallen North Korean soldiers are lying side by side in a field that appears to be a trench. The group explained, "The Ukrainian forces carrying out combat missions in the Kursk region conveyed this," adding, "It shows the aftermath of a battle that took place in a village. The North Korean troops suffered a defeat here and incurred heavy losses."
Most of the faces of the bodies are obscured, making precise identification difficult, and the filming location and date are also unknown. The video is presumed to have been recorded by a drone. InformNapalm claimed, "We confirmed that the Russian military command is using North Korean soldiers as 'cannon fodder' in infantry attacks on Ukrainian positions, sending them ahead of Russian units."
The image of the North Korean soldier whom Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced was captured on the 11th (local time). The face is pixelated for personal safety. Photo by Zelenskyy Ex
Meanwhile, the National Intelligence Service has determined that North Korea issued orders to its soldiers deployed to the Russian battlefield to "self-destruct before being captured." It is reported that there have been cases where soldiers, facing imminent capture, took out grenades and attempted to self-detonate while shouting the name of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, only to be shot dead. The deployment of North Korean troops participating in combat is expanding throughout the Kursk area, with estimated casualties of about 300 dead and approximately 2,700 wounded.
The National Intelligence Service obtained testimonies from two recently captured North Korean prisoners of war through cooperation with Ukrainian intelligence authorities. It was confirmed that the North Korean authorities sent soldiers to the battlefield under the condition of being treated as "heroes," without any promise of deployment pay. The surviving prisoners stated during interrogation by Ukrainian authorities that they initially thought they were being moved for training but realized they were being deployed to combat only after arriving on site.
The National Intelligence Service explained, "Despite North Korean authorities' silence, news of the deployment is spreading secretly within the country," adding, "Families of deployed soldiers express self-deprecating fear, referring to them as 'cannon fodder.'" Furthermore, it reported, "Residents with no vested interests showed mixed reactions, some hoping for Russian support or improvements in livelihoods."
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