North Korean troops gain battlefield experience in Ukraine, solidify alliance with Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military has been preparing for weeks to face an unfamiliar enemy: North Korea sending troops after Ukraine launched a lightning invasion over the summer and seized territory in Russia’s Kursk region Reinforce Moscow’s troops.

Their arrival marked a shocking new phase in the war. While North Korean troops were initially inexperienced on the battlefield, they quickly adapted — a development that could have far-reaching consequences as they gain combat knowledge in the war against Ukraine.

Unlike Russian forces, which have been fighting in Ukraine for nearly three years, Kiev’s military is unsure what to expect against its new adversary, with Moscow and Pyongyang signing an agreement pledging to use “all means” to provide military assistance if either side is attacked , and then they were involved in the war.

One Ukrainian soldier who witnessed the North Koreans in action described them as highly disciplined and very organized, saying they were more professional than their Russian counterparts. The soldier spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss sensitive military matters.

However, other soldiers, including Ukrainian special forces, shared battlefield drone footage on the Telegram messaging app, deriding their tactics as outdated.

Still, there is a consensus among Ukrainian soldiers, military intelligence and others monitoring developments on the ground that while Pyongyang’s troops arrived with little battlefield experience, that is changing quickly.

North Korea’s military has 1.2 million troops, making it the world’s largest standing army. However, after the Korean War, its foreign exchanges were limited, so it lacked experience in modern warfare technologies such as drones.

Andriy Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, said: “For the first time in decades, the North Korean army has gained real military experience. This is a global challenge – not only for Ukraine and Europe, but for the entire world.” “”

Determine the presence of North Korean troops

Although Ukraine, the United States and South Korea claim that Pyongyang has sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to fight alongside Russia in the Kursk border region, Moscow has never publicly acknowledged the North Korean troops.

Although reports of their presence first emerged in October, Ukrainian forces did not confirm fighting on the ground until December.

Analysts say that without the influx of North Korean troops, Russia would have difficulty pursuing its strategy of overwhelming Ukraine by dedicating a large number of soldiers to the Battle of Kursk.

While Moscow’s counterattack in Kursk has caused thousands of Ukrainian casualties, Kiev’s overstretched forces have managed to hold on to about half of the 984 square kilometers (380 square miles) of territory captured in August, although the situation remains unstable . In addition to the symbolic impact of Ukraine’s successful occupation of Russian territory, control of Kursk could also become a bargaining chip in any ceasefire negotiations.

According to Ukrainian intelligence agencies, North Korean soldiers fought alongside Russian troops, who provided reconnaissance and electronic warfare support.

According to reports from Ukrainian military units that have observed North Koreans on the battlefield, the North Koreans were wearing Russian military uniforms and carrying fake military ID cards in their pockets, making them easily mistaken for Russian soldiers.

Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Yusov said the ruse meant Moscow and its representatives at the United Nations could deny the facts.

Yusof said one of the proofs of their existence was that they were heard speaking Korean with a North Korean accent in intercepted communications.

He said North Korea’s military is using its own weapons and equipment and learning how to deal with the improvised explosive-laden drones that have become a symbol of the war, something some NATO members don’t have first-hand experience with.

“This is a new level of threat,” Yusof said. “Regional countries must prepare for what this means for the future.”

Koreans gained valuable experience on the battlefield

North Korea’s early missteps were largely due to inexperience, such as operating in large groups in open terrain, making them easy targets for drones and artillery strikes.

According to reports from Ukrainian military units, North Korean soldiers marched in single file through the forest in groups of three, with a distance of 3 to 5 meters between soldiers, making them easily visible. Over open terrain, they operated in dispersed formations of 5 to 15 soldiers, which made them vulnerable and resulted in heavy losses.

However, the report said they moved quickly during the night operation, with troops using red flashlights along routes to locate targets.

“They are fast, physically prepared and follow a strict algorithm,” said the Ukrainian soldier who spoke to The Associated Press. “If you practice the same moves for years until you can perform them blindfolded, it will produce results. ”

Although they were highly disciplined, their effectiveness was hampered by their lack of combat experience. The Ukrainian military reports that North Korean troops regularly suffer heavy losses, with many killed by drones.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put the number of dead or injured in North Korea at 4,000, but the U.S. estimate was lower at about 1,200.

“Much of their military doctrine and training is based on strategies and experiences from more than half a century ago,” said Glib Voloskyi, a military analyst at the Ukrainian think tank CBA Initiative Center.

The history of large group formations dates back to a time when artillery was significantly less accurate and observing troop movements was more difficult. Nowadays, reconnaissance and so-called first-person view drones (FPV) can transmit video allowing soldiers to engage targets in real time, making the battlefield highly transparent to anyone who steps onto it without cover, let alone adults. Anyone moving in a group is immediately threatened.

“But it’s only a matter of time before they acquire the necessary skills to increase their combat effectiveness, which, coupled with their discipline and training, can make them a significant military force,” Wolowski said.

No surrender policy meant there were few Korean prisoners of war

After weeks of fighting, Ukrainian soldiers captured only two prisoners of war. Announcing the capture of the North Koreans on Saturday, Zelensky said it would be “not easy” to capture them alive because of Ukraine’s efforts to conceal their presence and avoid interrogating them.

Zelensky said North Korean soldiers avoid surrender at all costs.

Analysts said this may have stemmed from North Korea’s internal propaganda, which described the arrest as the ultimate humiliation.

“Being captured alive is considered a betrayal of the country, its leaders and everything they stand for,” said Seongmin Lee of the New York-based Foundation for Human Rights, who defected from North Korea in 2009.

He said this belief is instilled from an early age and reinforced throughout military training. “Because of the shame brought by surrender, heroic soldiers should save their last bullet for suicide,” Lee said.

Lee said he shared photos of the dead North Korean soldiers with contacts back home. “Most North Koreans don’t even know what’s going on,” he said.

Dorothy Camille Shea, deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, warned that North Korean troops’ rapidly improving combat skills in Kursk could pose dangers.

Shea told the 15-member U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that North Korea “has benefited greatly from receiving Russian military equipment, technology and experience, making it more capable of waging war against its neighbors.”

As an added potential benefit, she said, North Korea “may be eager to exploit these improvements to promote global arms sales and military training contracts.”

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Associated Press correspondent Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and United Nations correspondent Michael Weissenstein at the United Nations contributed.