In Ukraine they were amazed: the soldiers who prefer to commit suicide than to be captured

Ukrainian army soldiers said that they were amazed by the way in which North Korean army soldiers fight in the ranks of the Russian army. According to a report in the Washington Post, Kim Jong Un’s troops took time to figure out how to stop being killed in groups and in large numbers, but also demonstrated an exceptionally high level of combat soldiering.Since then, North Korean soldiers entered the battles in the Kursk region of Russia against the Ukrainian army, thousands of them died and were injured, according to statements made by the President of Ukraine Zelensky and other estimates. Recently it was announced in Ukraine that they managed to capture two North Korean soldiers, but the Ukrainian army said that there is an extraordinary difficulty in capturing more such prisoners alive. According to them, unlike the Russian soldiers who are relatively easy to capture, the North Korean soldiers continue to fight until they die, or they commit suicide by self-detonating a hand grenade – so as not to fall into the hands of the enemy.

 

In the Ukrainian army, handwritten letters were found on the bodies of the North Korean soldiers who were killed in the battles, allegedly written by the leader Kim Jong Un and allegedly personally addressed to each of the soldiers – in order to encourage their fighting spirit. They are clearly well equipped and equipped, and one Ukrainian soldier said that Russia seemed to have given them a “best-for-guest” approach.

“You face a heartbreaking sacrifice, and the joys of victories are priceless, with noble combat experiences,” reads one of the letters found on the soldiers’ bodies, allegedly written by the North Korean leader. “A priceless feeling of warrior brotherhood and patriotism – and it’s all so far from the homeland. I don’t even know how I can find the words to cheer you on in a good way and express my appreciation for your dedication and tireless efforts. I miss you very much, my friends.” Until now it is not clear what exactly is the source of the letters from Kim Jong Un, and one possibility is that the soldiers wrote the things themselves after hearing him speak.

In Ukraine, it is recognized that the fighters from North Korea are much more imbued with fighting spirit and ideological feeling. “My fate is always intertwined with the fate of the homeland,” reads a note from one of the dead soldiers found on the battlefield. The North Korean soldiers are recognized on the battlefield by their special white uniforms – designed to provide them with camouflage under the cover of the snowy landscape.

The North Korean forces fighting against the Ukrainian army are by all accounts the elite units of their army. They are endowed with extremely high motivation, order and organization, a very high level of training, and are also equipped and equipped much more than the infantry of the Russian army.

According to the testimonies of the Ukrainian soldiers, it took the North Korean soldiers a long time to understand how to move on the battlefield. Initially, they moved in large and dense groups, exposed to enemy fire – and especially to enemy UAVs. This is how they were killed in the first battles in particularly large numbers. In Ukraine, it is noted that they have a good ability to learn, and since then they have been displaying advanced combat tactics and fighting intensively.

Today Zelensky revealed documentation from the interrogation of a North Korean soldier who was captured, during which he rarely went into details, but said that he arrived in Russia on a cargo ship with about a hundred of his comrades in arms – and they underwent training there and traveled together by train to the battlefield. He said that he enlisted in the army like everyone else after school at the age of 17, and in response to the question of what he knows about the world outside of North Korea, with an emphasis on South Korea – he clarified that not much.

Communication between captured North Korean soldiers and SSU investigators continues.

Intelligence data on the movement of such troops to Russian territory, their training and complete information isolation have been confirmed by the prisoners.

All the facts about North… pic.twitter.com/E2wiFlPBiw

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) January 20, 2025

Along with the beatings and casualties to the North Korean army, yesterday the British intelligence revealed the unimaginable extent of losses of the Russian army in recent times. 2024 was by far the most difficult year for the Russian military, with more than 50% of its total losses (killed and wounded) since the beginning of the war – with 429,660 soldiers killed and wounded. In 2023 this number stood at 252,940, and in 2022 this number stood at 105,960 – and in total the Russian army lost 790 thousand soldiers in less than three years of war.

2022: 105,960
2023: 252,940
2024: 429,660

Russia has suffered more casualties in Ukraine in recent months than in any other period of their illegal invasion. #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/EKlLKODawH

— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) January 19, 2025

The month of December 2024 was the most difficult month for the Russian army since the beginning of the war, with 48,670 casualties – with a trend of six consecutive months of an increase in the number of casualties. In recent months, the Russian army has been conducting an aggressive offensive to expand control over as many areas as possible in eastern Ukraine before negotiations to end the war take shape. The more the army is invested in offensive missions – the more likely the number of its casualties will increase.