North Korean troops face exhaustion in Ukraine conflict
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has analysed data regarding the involvement of North Korean soldiers in attacks on Ukraine. According to ISW, North Korea's ability to learn from these actions may deteriorate due to the exhaustion of forces.
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) examined information about the involvement of North Korean troops in attacks against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.
On 14 December, the President of Ukraine in his daily statement conveyed that Russian forces are using North Korean soldiers in attacks in this region.
Zelensky emphasised that Russian forces are incorporating a "significant number" of North Korean soldiers into their units operating in the Kursk region, and these soldiers have already suffered "noticeable losses".
He also added that in the future they may be used on other fronts.
North Korean soldiers on the front. The ability will deteriorate
"This marks the first instance of a Ukrainian official reporting North Korean forces conducting assault operations since Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov mentioned in an interview with South Korea’s national broadcaster KBS on 5 November that Ukrainian forces had engaged in 'small-scale' clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast," ISW reports.
In the analysis, it was noted that Russian military bloggers wrote about the involvement of North Korean troops in offensive operations in the Kursk region, including operations in Plekhovo. ISW experts note that they cannot independently verify any of these claims.
"However, ISW previously noted that North Korea’s ability to learn and integrate lessons from fighting alongside Russia is likely to be significantly hindered if the Russian military command continues to deploy North Korean troops in the same highly attritional, infantry-led assaults used for most Russian personnel," Ukrainska Pravda emphasises.
