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North Korean Troops Suffer Heavy Casualties in Early Combat in Ukraine
Recent intelligence reports from South Korea indicate that over 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed, and approximately 1,000 more have sustained injuries during their initial engagements fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) communicated to lawmakers that these losses were incurred by North Korea’s elite “Storm” troops, who were sent to assist Russia in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Reports from The New York Times confirm these findings.
Notably, a general-ranking officer might be among those killed, as indicated by comments from South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun.
North Korean troops were deployed to Russia in October, and by November, Ukrainian forces had initiated attacks on these units for the first time, which led to escalating troop losses since that period.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that preliminary estimates suggest more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been either killed or injured in the conflict, particularly in the Kursk region where Ukraine has been actively engaged in military operations.
Despite being among the most rigorously trained units within North Korea’s military framework, the Storm Corps appears to be ill-equipped for the realities of modern warfare in Ukraine. Intelligence assessments point out that these troops were not adequately prepared for drone warfare or the specific challenges presented by the local terrain.
This lack of preparation has reportedly led to instances where North Korean soldiers have been surprised by drone attacks, suffering casualties from airborne operations that they underestimated.
Reports have also surfaced regarding incidents of “friendly fire,” where language barriers reportedly caused North Korean troops to mistakenly engage Russian soldiers, leading to further confusion and loss of life.
The rapid deployment of North Korean troops was such that they had limited exposure to appropriate military training or integration into Russian operations. Intelligence officials noted that these soldiers learned only basic military phrases in Russian before being thrown into combat.
Warfare analysts caution that despite their initial difficulties, the presence of North Korean forces should not be underestimated. Russian military strategies have often involved deploying less-trained troops to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
Facing this growing challenge, Ukrainian forces are actively trying to encourage North Korean troops to surrender. Ukrainian officials report distributing leaflets and creating videos aimed at persuading these soldiers to seek refuge rather than fight on.
Nevertheless, indications suggest that North Korea plans to reinforce its military presence in Russia. There are concerns about the future deployment of additional troops to the front lines, as highlighted by Zelenskyy’s assessments.
Further developments in the conflict will likely continue to shape the dynamics of the military engagements involving North Korean forces and their role within the broader context of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
For more in-depth coverage, explore the original article on Business Insider.
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