According to South Korean intelligence agency, North Korean soldiers sent to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war are considered a burden by the Russian military due to their lack of capability to counter unmanned aerial vehicles. As of now, there have been at least 100 casualties among the North Korean troops deployed to assist Russia.
The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported during a closed-door meeting on December 19 organized by the parliamentary intelligence committee that out of approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers stationed in the Kursk region of Russia, at least 100 have died and over a thousand have been injured. The highest-ranking military officer among the casualties is likely of general rank.
The NIS explained that the reason for the significant casualties despite the limited engagements between North Korean and Ukrainian forces is that the North Korean troops were viewed as frontline assault units in the unfamiliar battlefield environment of open territory and lacked the capacity to defend against drone attacks.
Additionally, the NIS stated that there is internal dissatisfaction within the Russian military towards the North Korean troops. They believe that the North Korean soldiers are ignorant about drones and could ultimately become a burden rather than an asset.
In a report by Radio Free Asia, a video shared by the Ukrainian military on social media showed approximately 50 North Korean soldiers losing their lives this week due to drone attacks by the Ukrainian forces.
Sergeant Mykhailo Makaruk of the Ukrainian military confirmed to the media outlet that he engaged in combat with North Korean soldiers depicted in the video. He mentioned that nearly 200 North Korean soldiers had arrived at Ukrainian positions and soon after, they were targeted by Ukrainian drones.
“I don’t understand why they joined this war. You know, they looked like real zombies,” he said.
Furthermore, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine stated on December 17 that the North Korean forces are taking additional measures to mitigate the threat of drone attacks.
In a post on its official Telegram channel, the agency mentioned, “Following severe losses, the North Korean troops have started setting up additional observation posts to detect drones.”
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Anti-Disinformation Department at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, wrote on his Telegram account that prior to the drone attacks, some North Korean soldiers didn’t perceive the danger, possibly due to the lack of communication from the Russian forces about the use of drones on the frontline.
Kovalenko added that there were sightings of Russian soldiers swiftly retrieving the bodies of deceased North Korean soldiers on the frontline, contrary to their treatment of Russian casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously referenced a video as evidence, alleging that the Russian forces burned the faces of fallen North Korean soldiers to conceal their identities and protect the secret of their involvement in supporting Russia against Ukraine.