North Korean soldier reveals deception as the war unfolds in Ukraine
Soldiers from North Korea are fighting on Russia's side. However, not all of them are aware of why they are going to Ukraine. A military member told a South Korean newspaper that he was unaware he would be involved in combat, revealing what he had been promised beforehand.
North Korean soldiers appeared on the front in Ukraine at the end of November. After a few days, information emerged about the first clashes with Ukrainian soldiers. The newcomers from the Far East were suffering heavy losses. Consequently, there have been recent reports of their withdrawal from the Kursk region, partly occupied by Ukrainian forces.
Thanks to the capture of some soldiers, Ukrainians can learn more about Kim Jong Un's army, about which there is limited information because the North Korean regime is isolated from the world.
The war in Ukraine. They captured a Korean
Anton Herashchenko, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, reported that one of the Korean prisoners gave an interview to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo. He is 26-year-old Ri, a reconnaissance sniper who has served in the North Korean army for 10 years.
I was told I was going there as a student for training. I had no idea I would be participating in combat
His unit was informed that they would participate in combat only after being "placed in a staging area" in the Kursk region. According to Ri, he is the only survivor from his unit.
Almost everyone I came with has been killed. All the men who came with me are gone. In my unit, all my comrades have died. There’s no one left, says the Korean.
He added that the reason for the high casualties is "devilish drones," which can operate at night thanks to infrared sensors. "So many were lost because of them," says Ri. The Russian artillery did not cover the Korean soldiers at all. Each time, they went to slaughter.
As Herashchenko reports, the 26-year-old Korean wants to apply for asylum and go to South Korea because, as he says, if he returns home, it will be very difficult for him. The North Korean soldier also fears: "If the North Korean government learns of my capture, I fear my parents will be forced to leave Pyongyang."
