Kim rushes to Putin's aid

North Korean troops in Ukraine: dead, deserters

Archive photo: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un inspects his army.

(Bild: AFP)

North Korean artillery shells and missiles have been raining down on Ukrainian cities for months, while the Stalinist Kim regime in Pyongyang is one of Putin's most important partners alongside Iran. Now there are signs of a dramatic turnaround in this alliance, as North Korea is also planning to support Putin with soldiers. The first have already fallen in Ukraine, and some have apparently deserted. Krone+ analyzes the background.

Early October in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Donetsk. A Ukrainian missile hits a Russian base, soldiers are killed or wounded. Among them were six North Korean military personnel, according to Ukrainian and South Korean sources. North Korean officers, to be precise - their deaths are also confirmed by sources from Russia. The visit to Donetsk was probably to familiarize themselves with the battlefield and learn Russian military tactics. "Unfortunately, there was a rocket attack on the training area. A total of 20 people died, six of whom were our friends - officers from North Korea," wrote a Russian military blogger after the attack. But the fallen officers are just the tip of the iceberg.