A South Korean lawmaker quoted Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) as claiming that as many as 300 North Korean soldiers fighting on Russia’s side in the war against Ukraine have so far have been killed. He said that these soldiers have also been ordered to kill themselves to avoid capture.
Seoul says 300 North Korean soldiers killed fighting Ukraine.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had captured two North Korean soldiers, releasing video of the injured combatantshttps://t.co/lvo1a46Jgq pic.twitter.com/AuGSO1KO4Q
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 13, 2025
UPDATE Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for the return of Ukrainian POWs held in Russia
🇺🇦 🇷🇺 🇰🇵https://t.co/axh813kFGx pic.twitter.com/bsTZSdZR0j— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 12, 2025
South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kwon told AFP after a briefing with the spy agency. "The deployment of North Korean troops in Russia was reportedly expanded to include the Kursk region. It is estimated that over 3000 North Korean soldiers were injured. 300 Korean soldiers are also claimed to have been killed so far.
Lee claimed that soldiers allegedly from the North Korean Storm Corps were ordered to shoot themselves to avoid capture. "Notably, memos found with dead soldiers specifically indicate that North Korean officials ordered them to commit suicide or detonate themselves before being captured.
Lee said that one such North Korean said the soldier who was allegedly about to be captured. It was General Kim Jong Un who spoke and attempted to detonate the grenade before being shot. In it some soldiers were ‘pardoned’ or wanted to join North Korea’s ruling party.
South Korea claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had helped Russia fight Ukraine in exchange for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and satellite programs. More than 10,000 soldiers were sent to However, they lacked an understanding of modern warfare and, according to NIS analysis, their use "cannon fodder"
Earlier, Ukrainian President Zelensky said he had captured two North Korean soldiers. He has also released a video of his interrogation. Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s troops in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers held hostage in Russia. He said in a statement "It is only a matter of time before our soldiers succeed in capturing the others. There should be no doubt in the world that the Russian military is dependent on North Korean military aid
