Russia is deploying a “human sea” of North Korean soldiers and at least one soldier captured by Ukraine has died from his injuries, the United States said on Friday.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said some North Korean soldiers committed suicide rather than surrender to Ukrainian forces.
He said the suicides “may be due to fear of reprisals against their families in North Korea if arrested”.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed on Friday that the North Korean soldier captured the previous day had died.
Screenshots from a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense’s press service in November showed Russian soldiers aiming D-30 howitzers at Ukrainian positions in Kursk, where many North Korean soldiers were deployed. (Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Associated Press)
Ukrainian President Zelensky issued a statement on Telegram on Friday saying that the Ukrainian army launched a lightning invasion of Russia’s Kursk region in August, resulting in at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers casualties.
But Russia has since massed thousands of troops to fight back.
Kirby cited a lower death toll in North Korea, saying more than 1,000 soldiers had died in the past week alone.
In addition, more than 1,500 Russian soldiers are injured or killed every day, according to the British Ministry of Defense. The numbers “likely” reflect the faster pace of Russian operations and offensives.
To supplement its counterattack, Moscow turned to its ally Pyongyang, which has about 11,000 troops deployed in Ukraine, according to U.S. and allied estimates.
Kirby said North Korea was conducting “a massive dismounted attack on Ukrainian positions in Kursk.” Although these “human wave tactics” were ineffective, he acknowledged that Russia’s fierce attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure made it difficult for Ukrainians to survive the winter.
Neither Russia nor North Korea has publicly acknowledged the troop deployment.
Kirby said North Korean troops were viewed as “expendable” and that their leadership ordered “a hopeless attack on Ukraine’s defenses.”
“These North Korean soldiers appear to be so highly indoctrinated that they will carry out attacks even when they are clearly futile,” he said.
While the exact number of North Korean soldiers who committed suicide to avoid capture is unclear, Zelensky said on Friday that while “several” North Korean soldiers were captured, they were “seriously injured and could not be resuscitated,” suggesting that some People may also be killed by their comrades.
He said the troops were sent into combat with “minimum protection” but suffered “substantial” losses.
Still, the Ukrainians were unable to capture them, he added. “Their own people are executing them.”
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com
