Russian soldiers are reportedly burning the faces of dead North Korean troops who had fought for them against Ukraine, according to videos released by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
North Korea is believed to have deployed over 10,000 troops to fight alongside their allies in the Kursk region of Russia.
Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into the Russian territory in August in the war that is approaching its four-year mark, according to Reuters.
Moscow has since counterattacked and included North Korean troops on the front.
🇷🇺🇺🇦Ukraine’s Position in Russia’s Kursk Continues to Crumble
▪️Pro-Ukrainian LIVE UA Map indicates Russian forces further reducing Ukraine’s area of operation in Kursk;
▪️Ukraine’s incursion into Russia compromised Ukraine’s own line of defenses across the Donbass leading to… pic.twitter.com/6J08WSkfPv
— Brian Berletic (@BrianJBerletic) October 10, 2024
In early November, the Pentagon said that an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 North Korean troops had arrived in the region.
The U.K.’s Telegraph reported in mid-December that at least 100 North Koreans had been killed in the fighting, according to South Korea’s spy agency.
“Another 1,000 have been injured in the ongoing fight in Russia’s Kursk region, after being deployed by Moscow, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) also claimed,” the Telegraph said.
Will the war in Ukraine be kept going?
“The heavy losses were caused by North Korean soldiers’ lack of experience in drone warfare and their unfamiliarity with open terrain, Lee Seong-kweun, a South Korean lawmaker, told journalists after attending a closed-door briefing held by the NIS,” the outlet added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of trying to hide the number of North Koreans being killed on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy released a video appearing to show “Russian forces trying to conceal the presence of their North Korean counterparts, covering their faces with masks and using a campfire to burn the faces of the dead,” the Telegraph said.
“Russia is not only involving North Korean soldiers in assaults against Ukrainian positions, but also trying to hide the losses of these people,” Zelenskyy argued, adding, “The Russians are also trying to literally burn the faces of the killed North Korean soldiers.”
WARNING: The following post contains images that some may find disturbing.
❗️Even after years of war, when it seems that there can be no more cynicism from the Russians, we still see something worse — Zelensky
Russia is not only involving North Korean soldiers in assaults against Ukrainian positions, but also trying to hide the losses of these people.… pic.twitter.com/NAs64ayOK0
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) December 16, 2024
North Korea said earlier this month that its military alliance with Moscow is proving “very effective” in deterring the United States and its “vassal forces,” the New York Post reported.
No one knows how many North Koreans have died in the Ukraine war so far, and it appears Russia wants to keep it that way.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.