Ukraine Conflict: North Korean Troops Suffer Heavy Losses in Human Wave Attacks
U.S. National Security Council coordinator John Kirby revealed on Friday that North Korean forces have been conducting large-scale, foot-based assaults against Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region, according to the French news agency AFP. These operations, reliant on human waves, have been largely ineffective, Kirby stated, citing American intelligence.
South Korea estimates that hundreds of North Korean soldiers have perished in these ventures over the past week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed this grim toll, stating that approximately 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed or injured since their initial engagement in the conflict earlier this fall.
"North Korean forces have suffered enormous losses – truly terrible losses," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. He further noted that several North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces but succumbed to their severe injuries.
The struggle for Kursk, a Russian region bordering Ukraine, has seen Ukrainian troops occupations since the summer. Since then, Russian forces have pushed back against these incursions, including the deployment of North Korean soldiers.
Both South Korea and the U.S. believe Russia has sent around 11,000 North Korean troops, with more en route. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has confirmed these numbers. Kirby condemned the strategy of employing North Korean soldiers in suicidal charges, stating, "It’s clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these soldiers as expendable, ordering them to conduct futile attacks."
In a chilling testament to their indoctrination and desperation, Kirby reported that some North Korean soldiers beset by fear of reprisals against their families if captured prefer taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
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