Reports continue to emerge regarding North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk region. On January 22, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) released video footage of intense battles with these forces, revealing heavy casualties on the North Korean side, including dozens killed or injured.
The footage, captured via drones and body cameras, begins with a screen displaying more than 30 North Korean flags, marking enemy positions. It then transitions to scenes of soldiers navigating snow-covered terrain, attempting to evade drone surveillance, and missile strikes causing explosions.
The video also shows graphic images of North Korean soldiers, some with severe injuries, presumed dead on the battlefield.
The 2-minute, 18-second video offers a harrowing glimpse into the brutal reality faced by North Korean troops in combat. The SSO explained that “the 8-hour-long fierce skirmish between Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region was filmed on body cameras.”
According to the Ukrainian forces, the skirmish occurred as North Korean troops attacked Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region. The clash resulted in 21 North Korean soldiers killed and 40 others injured. Members of Ukraine’s 8th Special Operations Brigade, supported by infantry units, reportedly held off the North Korean assault for over eight hours, employing rifles, grenade launchers, and snipers.
After nine hours of fighting, the Ukrainian forces, having expended two-thirds of their ammunition, strategically withdrew from the battlefield using two armored Humvee vehicles. The Ukrainian side has not disclosed information regarding their own casualties during the engagement.
Meanwhile, pro-Ukrainian international organization InformNapalm released a video on January 21 showing Ukrainian defense forces distributing propaganda leaflets targeting North Korean soldiers. The leaflets, dropped over the Kursk region by drone, feature the phrase “You were sold for money!” alongside an illustration of North Korean soldiers leashed and crawling behind armed Russian troops. InformNapalm stated that the goal of the leaflets is to encourage North Korean forces to surrender.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
