At least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed fighting in Ukraine — and video appears to show Russian allies burning the dead’s faces in fires to hide their identity.
Another 1,000 North Koreans have been wounded — but dictator Kim Jong Un could be gearing up to send additional troops to the battlefield.
The heavy losses — which may include North Korean generals — were reported by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) to the nation’s lawmakers behind closed doors on Thursday, The Telegraph reported.
The North Korean troops have become “burdens” to their Russian allies because they know nothing about drones, South Korean politician Lee-Seong-kweun told reporters after the intelligence briefing.
As reports emerged of significant North Korean losses, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published videos this week showing soldiers from the Hermit Kingdom fighting — and dying — in Kursk.
North Korean troops could be seen in one video posted online sheltering behind trees after an advance on Ukrainian positions.
Another clip showed Russian troops attempting to hide the identity of the North Koreans — even burning the faces of the dead in a campfire, according to The Telegraph.
“Russia is not only involving North Korean soldiers in assaults against Ukrainian positions, but also trying to hide the losses of these people,” Zelensky said.
“The Russians are also trying to literally burn the faces of the killed North Korean soldiers,” he added.
North Korean troops accidentally killed eight Russian paramilitary soldiers over the weekend in a “friendly fire” attack as they tried to retake Kursk from Ukraine, Kyiv officials said.
Along the front lines Saturday, a group of North Korean troops targeted and fired at the Chechen Akhmat unit, killing eight of their allies, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR).
The friendly fire incident resulted from the “language barrier” between Moscow and Pyongyang’s forces.
North Korea deployed more than 10,000 soldiers and military equipment to Russia as President Vladimir Putin desperately looks to turn the tides in his drawn-out invasion of Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year.
However, neither North Korea nor Russia has officially acknowledged the troop deployment or the weapons supply.
Hermit Kingdom leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly planning an inspection of his country’s special operations force, which could be dispatched to Ukraine, according to The Telegraph.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency also revealed Thursday that North Korean troops have erected additional observational posts to “detect drones of the security and defense forces of Ukraine.”
The agency said that Russia will continue sending North Korean soldiers to Kursk to not “lose the pace of offensive actions.”
North Korea said on Thursday its military alliance with Russia is proving “very effective” in deterring the United States and its “vassal forces.”
