North Korean military personnel who fought alongside Russia against Ukraine and have now vanished from the battlefield have proven to be highly mobile fighters. Some even discarded the protective gear provided by Russia to increase their speed during assaults. This was reported by Newsweek.
The publication, citing Ukrainian Special Operations Forces representative Colonel Alexander Kindratienko, noted that the North Korean soldiers had limited experience in drone warfare but "were able to move quickly and erratically to avoid drone attacks."
According to Kindratienko, they repeatedly attacked "along the same routes where dozens of their soldiers had already been killed." Nevertheless, they exhibited a high level of mobility.
At times, they operated without helmets and ballistic plates to enhance their speed during assaults on Ukrainian positions, the spokesperson stated. He also mentioned that their confiscated backpacks contained little food, a liter of water, but lacked any cold-weather gear like gloves or thermal clothing. The bulk of the space in the Russian-made backpacks was occupied by ammunition, the colonel reported.
Equipment recovered from the bodies of slain North Korean soldiers in Kursk indicates that they "are often better armed" than Russian troops, Kindratienko added. Records obtained from Ukrainian reconnaissance drones showed "a significant number of anti-tank grenade launchers" used by the North Koreans against fortified, well-defended Ukrainian positions or vehicles.
Almost all North Koreans carried "modernized versions" of standard Russian weapons, the spokesperson noted. He stated that "instead of the infamous AK-47, which has been around for decades, the North Koreans used much more modern AK-12 rifles."
The publication reminds that neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has publicly acknowledged the deployment of North Korean fighters or any losses in combat.
According to Kindratienko, it is entirely possible that North Korean forces will return to active combat after undergoing new training.
He also recounted how, in early January, a unit of Ukrainian special forces captured a North Korean prisoner of war, compelling the soldier to surrender instead of detonating a grenade.
Ukrainian special forces provided medical assistance to the captive, extracting him through a minefield, Kindratienko reported. Russia was actively shelling with artillery and FPV drones as the soldier was being pulled out, the colonel stated.
"The intensity of the artillery fire increased at that moment, clearly indicating an attempt to eliminate both the prisoners of war and the extraction team, preventing the world from seeing a living North Korean soldier in Ukrainian custody," he noted.
Once the Ukrainian forces delivered the North Korean soldier to a safe location, according to Kindratienko, he was given a pain-relieving injection, food, water, and cigarettes.
North Koreans' Involvement in the War on Russia's Side: Latest News
As previously reported by UNIAN, citing Western media, North Korean soldiers exhibit a strong determination and readiness for combat, even in challenging conditions. They are relentless, almost fanatical in the face of death, despite their tactics being outdated and extremely rigid.
The disappearance of North Korean soldiers from the frontline in Kursk is attributed to regrouping by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and it is suggested that their complete disappearance is unlikely. According to Ivan Timochko, head of the Council of Reservists of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, if the North Korean troops were pulled back from the frontline, they are likely passing their experience on to soldiers who have not fought in the Kursk region.
German expert Frederik Sporr is also convinced that it is premature to discuss the definitive withdrawal of North Korean soldiers from the frontline in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. He explained their disappearance as a necessity for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, who "cannot afford significant losses to avoid pressure within his country."