North Korean soldier reveals the truth about the unwitting battle in Ukraine
Soldiers from North Korea are fighting on Russia's side. However, not all of them know why they are going to Ukraine. One North Korean soldier revealed what he had been promised to a South Korean newspaper. "I had no idea I would be participating in combat," he admitted.
North Korean soldiers appeared on the front lines in Ukraine at the end of November. After a few days, information emerged about the first clashes with Ukrainian troops. The newcomers from the Far East were suffering heavy losses. Recently, there have been reports of their withdrawal from the Kursk region, which is partly occupied by the Ukrainian army.
Thanks to the capture of some soldiers, Ukrainians can learn more about Kim Jong Un's army. The state of knowledge about it is limited due to North Korea's isolation from the world.
The war in Ukraine: They captured a Korean. "I had no idea"
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. The soldier 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" claims the soldier.
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 high casualties were due to "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 battle, it was like slaughter.
As Herashchenko reports, the 26-year-old Korean wants to apply for asylum and go to South Korea. He fears returning home will be very difficult, and he worries that if the North Korean government finds out about his capture, his parents will be forced to leave Pyongyang.
