North Korean Soldiers in Ukraine Facing Dire Circumstances:

New reports confirm that North Korean soldiers, deployed by Russia to fight in Ukraine, are choosing suicide over capture by Ukrainian forces. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby disclosed on Friday that some soldiers have taken their own lives, attributing this desperate act to fears of reprisals against their families back in North Korea should they be captured.

This grim scenario was further corroborated by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, which confirmed the death of a captured North Korean soldier on the same day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, via a Telegram post, highlighted the severe casualties among these troops, stating that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have either died or been injured in the Kursk region amidst Ukraine’s territorial recapture efforts earlier this year.

Zelenskyy criticized the deployment, questioning the rationale behind North Korean involvement in the conflict, stating, “Russia is simply disposing of them in assaults.” Despite these claims, Kirby suggested a lower casualty figure, noting that over 1,000 North Korean soldiers were killed in the last week alone. He described the North Korean troops as being seen as “expendable” by both Russian and North Korean leadership, forced into “hopeless assaults” against well-entrenched Ukrainian defenses.

Kirby further elaborated that the North Korean soldiers, indoctrinated and pushed into futile attacks, are part of “human wave tactics” which have proven ineffective. This comes as Russia continues its aggressive counterattacks, with Kirby warning that the Russian military would need many body bags, given the ongoing casualties.

The involvement of North Korean forces in Ukraine is part of an enhanced military alliance with Russia, highlighted by a recent defense pact that Russian President Vladimir Putin described as a “breakthrough document.” This pact was formalized in June and became effective this month, intensifying the military cooperation between the two nations.

Amidst this context, Zelenskyy reported that captured North Korean soldiers were often too severely wounded to survive, hinting at possible executions by their own comrades to avoid capture. The troops are described as being inadequately equipped for the battle, leading to significant losses.

Recent footage from Ukrainian special operations on Telegram showed kamikaze drone attacks on North Korean positions in Kursk, with claims of killing 77 and wounding 40 soldiers over three days, illustrating the harsh realities on the ground.

The increasing military collaboration between North Korea and Russia, particularly in the context of the Ukrainian conflict, has raised alarms among Ukraine’s allies, who view it as a “dangerous expansion” of the war.

These developments paint a picture of a dire situation for North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, caught in a conflict far from home with little to no chance of survival or escape.