Russia Deploys “Human Waves” of North Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, US Says
The US has accused Russia of deploying “human waves” of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, with some reportedly taking their own lives rather than surrender to Ukrainian forces. The claim comes as Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reported that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have died or been wounded in the past month in the country’s Kursk region.
According to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have died in the past week alone, with many more being wounded or killed daily. The North Korean soldiers are being treated as “expendable” and are being ordered to conduct “hopeless assaults” against Ukrainian defenses.
Kirby described the North Korean soldiers as “highly indoctrinated” and said that they are being sent to fight with “minimal protection,” resulting in a “great deal” of losses. Zelenskyy reported that while “several” North Korean soldiers were captured, they were “seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated.”
The Russian Defense Ministry has not publicly acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops, but the US estimates that there are approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine. The US also accuses Russia of using “human wave tactics” to supplement its counterattack, with North Korean soldiers conducting “massed, dismounted assaults” against Ukrainian positions in Kursk.
