North Korean soldiers reveal deception and drone defeat in Ukraine
According to UNITED24 Media, associated with the authorities in Kyiv, North Korean prisoners captured by the Ukrainian army in January have given an interview to the media for the first time. They admitted that they were unaware of the true reason for being sent to the Kursk region in Russia, and were not adequately trained. Consequently, the realities of the Ukrainian-Russian war were very surprising for them.
Findings from Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence indicate that so far, about 12,000 soldiers from North Korea have been sent to the Kursk region in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in February that despite losses amounting to approximately 4,000, Kim Jong Un's army continues to fight against Ukrainians and may soon receive reinforcements.
Ukrainian military commanders emphasised that sometimes the North Koreans could surprise with equipment better than that of the Russian soldiers, but overall they were not properly prepared. The realities of the ongoing war, especially the massive use of artillery and drones, proved to be a significant problem for them. It wasn’t until February that it was noticed that North Korean soldiers changed tactics in response to large losses.
North Korean prisoners admit they were deceived
UNITED24 Media reports that the North Korean prisoners gave an interview to journalists from the South Korean newspaper "Chosun Ilbo". Their words confirm earlier observations by Ukrainians.
"We received basic training, but there was no specific strategy for drone warfare. Our training emphasised speed—running, hiding, or shooting drones from the ground. We never learned how to take them down effectively," said one of the prisoners.
Kim Jong Un's army defeated by drones
The captured North Korean soldiers did not know that they would be fighting against Ukraine. They were led to believe they were being sent to Russia for exercises, and later informed that the pilots of Ukrainian drones were soldiers of the South Korean army.
The war in Ukraine is aptly referred to as the "drone war". Various types of drones are being used on a very large scale. Among the Ukrainians, there are not only Western drones prepared for military needs (e.g., Turkish Bayraktar TB2 or Polish FlyEye), but also small FPV (first person view) drones. These are mainly the ones the North Koreans fighting in the Kursk region encounter. These commercial drones, equipped with built-in cameras, are modified for military use by adding explosives, grenades, or bombs. They can act as kamikaze weapons or drop grenades or bombs on the enemy from above.
"All my comrades died, I was the only survivor... I might have committed suicide if I had a grenade. In our army, being captured is seen as betrayal," added one of the North Korean prisoners, noting that he intends to apply for asylum and move to South Korea.
