Communication between captured North Korean soldiers and SSU investigators continues, Ukrainian President Zelensky said. The prisoners have confirmed intelligence data on the movement of North Korean troops to Russian territory, their training, and complete information isolation.
Despite being injured, the soldiers survived, but a diary entry from a soldier who was killed while fighting for Russia has been retrieved. The entry shows how North Korean troops are being used as bait on the frontline. According to the entry, soldiers will form in groups of three if a drone is spotted, with one soldier blowing their cover to lure the drone near, creating an opportunity for the other two to shoot at it.
One of the POWs who survived reported that he arrived on a cargo ferry with over 100 North Korean soldiers to Russia. While he did not receive training with Russian military equipment, many North Korean troops did. The soldier said that his mother is unaware of his whereabouts and that he joined the army at 17.
There were a lot of casualties when he was there alone, starting from the battle on January 3. Overall, it’s hard to answer about such large-scale numbers. South Korean intelligence alleged more than 300 North Korean casualties and over 2,700 injuries.
North Korean troops have been forced to commit suicide to avoid capture by Ukrainian personnel, and officials have been known to exact severe retaliation against their families if they surrender.