Following successful drone strikes that dealt heavy damage to North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukrainian forces are now deploying drones to drop surrender leaflets, encouraging North Korean soldiers to defect.
On December 19, InformNapalm, an international online information platform monitoring the Ukraine war, shared a video on its Telegram channel showing Ukrainian drones dispersing leaflets over North Korean troop locations.
The footage, captured by a camera attached to the drone, shows the leaflets being scattered over forested areas. A caption in Ukrainian explains that the leaflets are being dropped over forests where North Korean troops are believed to be hiding.
The video highlights various types of leaflets printed in Korean. One leaflet reads, “Surrender today and embrace a new future in South Korea!”, accompanied by an image of a smiling North Korean soldier raising his hands against a backdrop featuring the South Korean flag.
Another leaflet displays a message in Korean stating, “You have been sold for money,” and features illustrations of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un alongside soldiers in Russian military uniforms.
The video shows bundles of these leaflets attached to the drone’s wings before they are released over the wooded areas below.
InformNapalm stated on Telegram that Ukraine is using drones not only to attack North Korean forces but also to help them defect by offering a chance at a new life. They emphasized that captured North Korean troops are promised anonymity and support for resettling in South Korea.
The group noted that while it is too early to determine the effectiveness of this humanitarian approach, even one soldier choosing to defect and start a new life would validate their efforts.
Previously, on December 17, Ukraine’s Special Forces claimed that drone strikes resulted in over 50 North Korean soldiers killed and 47 wounded within a span of three days. The Special Forces also released footage on Telegram showing drones targeting North Korean troops walking across open fields or hiding behind trees, with soldiers scrambling to evade the attacks.
The Ukrainian government had previously announced plans to drop Korean-language surrender leaflets if North Korean forces were deployed to fight alongside Russia.
Before North Korean troop deployment, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate said that deployment could provide North Korean soldiers an opportunity to leave their home country. It added that while investigations into potential war crimes are necessary, Ukraine may offer protection to defectors who express a desire to flee.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
