North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Credit: Reuters Photo
North Korea soldiers fighting alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine have allegedly stolen supplies and "failed" to defend Kim Jong-Un's dignity.
North Korean soldiers joined the war on Russia side last year. Recently, Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 troops from Russia's ally North Korea have been deployed in the Kursk region to support Moscow's forces. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.
As per a report by CNN, North Korean soldiers are employing brutal tactic such as detonating a grenade under the chin rather than being captured, using a fellow soldier to lure out attack drones, removing body armour plates and helmets to enable faster attacks on foot and writing pledges of allegiance to North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
According to documents cited by the organisation, acts of disloyalty, including “an unimaginably disgraceful act” of “stealing supplies” were reported. It is likely that North Korean officers have written the notes.
Another note claimed that North Korean soldier, "failed to uphold the Supreme Commander's dignity" by placing his personal interests "above all".
Unverified video footage shows a North Korean soldier scream before detonating a grenade next to his head just as a Ukrainian soldier checks if he is alive.
It was reported that the last words of the North Korean soldier's last words were "General Kim Jong Un".
A commander from the Ukrainian army who goes by the call sign Pokémon said, “They use grenades, which means they can blow themselves up.”
Pokémon added, “They can just brazenly go into battle until they are neutralized. Despite all attempts to call them to surrender, they will continue to fight.”
Although the North Korean soldiers are "all young, trained, hardy fighters," according to Pokémon, they have never engaged in combat with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which has revolutionised the conflict in Ukraine.
Another unnamed soldier, using the call sign Amur, after acquiring military equipment from North Korean soldiers who were killed suggested they are given few supplies, with just up to a litre of water and no extra warm clothes.
However, Amur said that the North Korean soldier are very quick.
The report stated that several notes were found on the bodies of North Korean soldiers, pledges of allegiance to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and of victory in battle.
Albeit notes were found that showed acts of disloyalty by North Korean subordinates.
One note said a soldier had “engaged in an unimaginably disgraceful act by stealing supplies.” Another note said a different soldier had “failed to uphold the Supreme Commander’s dignity and placed his personal interests above all.”