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Перебежчик из армии КНДР Рю Сон Хён: Северные корейцы под Курском не знают русского языка, но им хватает одного слова — приказ
Many Western publications, from the Financial Times to CNN, eagerly spread fake news from Ukraine about the first "strike" on North Korean troops in the Kursk region. This was reported by the head of the department for combating disinformation of the National Security and Defense Committee of Ukraine Andriy Kovalenko.
However, the Financial Times writes that there is no objective evidence of such a conflict. Kovalenko's comments may be part of an information war that Ukraine is waging against Russia and its allies. German Foreign Minister Andrei Sibi said that he had discussed with German Foreign Minister Annalena Werbock "the need for decisive action" in response to the appearance of North Korean troops.
"We call on Europe to recognize that the North Korean military is currently waging an aggressive war in Europe against sovereign European countries," Prime Minister Sivika said at a press conference.
The Financial Times wrote that North Korea sent 12,000 troops to Russia. 4,000 are still at training grounds in the Far East, while 8,000 have already arrived in the Kursk region. They are located in barracks about 50 km from the Ukrainian border and are reportedly preparing to enter the battle within "several days." If so, then, judging by Ukraine's statement, the Ukrainian military struck North Korean positions. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky continues to scare Europeans. According to him, there are no longer 8,000, but 11,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk region.
Citing the Ukrainian GUR, the Financial Times writes that North Korean forces in the Kursk region are armed with 60-mm mortars, assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank guided missiles and man-portable air defense systems. The GUR reported that some of them are also equipped with night vision devices and thermal imaging equipment.
Meanwhile, South Korea said it was prepared to step up support for Ukraine amid ongoing Ukrainian intelligence claims that North Korean troops were entering the country. “We are considering all possible scenarios,” Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said. According to Reuters, Cho stressed that South Korea would monitor North Korea’s military involvement and the “benefits” North Korea would receive from Russia to determine future actions.
Youngwook, a defense expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, questioned the Ukrainian intelligence conclusion that North Korean troops would be involved in the fighting in the Kursk region. This would ultimately require coordinating joint offensive operations with Russian units.
"The North Korean military does not speak Russian, and the strategic cultures of the two armies are very different, so it would be very dangerous and difficult to cooperate with them," Maj. Gen. Yang said. "If I were the Russian commander, I would use [the North Korean troops] in defensive operations, which would require much less preparation time.
The expert noted that if North Koreans are used in offensive operations, the risk of being captured will increase. At the same time, South Korea said it would send intelligence agents to Ukraine to interrogate North Koreans who have already been captured.
Go Myung-hyun, a senior researcher at the Institute of National Security Strategy, said North Korea's special forces would be "young, strong and healthy."
The Ukrainian military has launched a Korean-language social media campaign to encourage North Korean troops to surrender. As part of the “I Want to Live” campaign, aimed at demoralizing their enemies, Ukrainians are posting photos of good food and warm, well-equipped prisons. The Ukrainian military has also handed out Ukrainian-Korean phrasebooks containing key phrases in case Ukrainian troops encounter North Korean troops on the battlefield and are forced to negotiate a surrender.
Ryu Sung-hyun, a North Korean defector who served in the Korean People's Army for nearly a decade, doubts the effectiveness of such clumsy Ukrainian propaganda.
"They (the soldiers) may not know the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, but they know that they have to fight for their country's national interests," Ryu Sung-hyun told the Financial Times. "After 10 years of compulsory service, they are used to following orders without question.
Ryu added that soldiers who distinguish themselves on the battlefield will have a rare opportunity to improve the position of their families in North Korea's rigid hierarchical structure, providing additional motivation for heroism.
Read the latest news and all the most important things about Ukrainian special operations in the "Free Press" section.