"Hopeless"

“Hopeless”: Putin burns out North Korea’s soldiers

Fighting around Kursk: Russia wants to regain the region with all its might - and, according to Kiev, is also relying on North Korean soldiers.

(Bild: AP)

North Korean soldiers are fighting for Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin against Ukraine. According to the US, the conditions are almost unbearable. The North Koreans are therefore considered "expendable" and receive "orders for hopeless attacks on the Ukrainian defense." They would be sent to their deaths in "hopeless" and loss-making missions.

According to the US government, large numbers of North Korean soldiers are said to be fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine, acting under extreme circumstances.

USA claim: North Korean soldiers commit suicide
This was stated by John Kirby, White House spokesman, last Friday. According to the statement, some North Korean soldiers killed themselves out of fear of reprisals against their families in North Korea instead of surrendering to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The South Korean intelligence agency stated on Friday that a North Korean soldier captured the previous day had succumbed to his injuries.

This photo shared by Ukrainian sources is said to show a North Korean prisoner of war. He is said to have succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards.

(Bild: telegram.com/Политика Страны)

Ukraine reports: 3000 dead North Koreans in Kursk
According to Ukrainian sources, at least 3,000 North Koreans have lost their lives or been wounded in fighting in the Russian region of Kursk. This region was the scene of a Ukrainian offensive in August, but Russian troops there have since been repulsed in large numbers, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram.

Russians also suffering heavy losses
Kirby spoke of a significantly lower number and reported over 1,000 dead North Korean soldiers in the past week alone. According to the UK, up to 1,500 Russian soldiers are dying every day, resulting in a total of over 45,000 casualties in November - the highest figure since the start of the war.

Fighting around Kursk: Russia wants to regain the region with all its might - and, according to Kiev, is also relying on North Korean soldiers.

(Bild: AP)

"Hopeless missions"
According to estimates by the USA and its allies, Russia has mobilized around 11,000 North Korean soldiers to reinforce its own troops. These had been deployed on the front line in the Kursk region, primarily for so-called "human wave tactics". This involves sending a large number of soldiers into battle, even if it is clear in advance that many of them will die. According to Kirby, the soldiers are considered "expendable" by the military leadership during their attacks and sent on hopeless missions.

Selenskyj emphasized that some of the North Korean fighters who were captured were so badly wounded that they could not be rescued. There are indications that some soldiers were executed by their own comrades in order to prevent capture. The North Koreans were poorly equipped and suffered high casualties. Moscow and Pyongyang have not yet officially acknowledged the deployment of these troops.