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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 for assault operations, they will be at greater risk of being captured. At the same time, South Korea has already announced that it will send its intelligence officers to Ukraine to interrogate captured North Koreans.
Go Myung-hyun, a senior researcher at South Korea's state-run Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul, said the North Korean special forces "will be young, tough and in good physical condition."
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have launched a Korean-language social media campaign to encourage North Korean soldiers to surrender. As part of the “I Want to Live” campaign, aimed at demoralizing the enemy, Ukrainians are posting photos of good food and warm, well-equipped prison cells. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have also distributed a Ukrainian-Korean phrasebook with key phrases in case Ukrainians encounter North Koreans on the battlefield and have to negotiate their surrender.
Ryu Sung-hyun, a North Korean refugee who served nearly a decade in the Korean People's Army, doubts the effectiveness of such crude Ukrainian propaganda.
"They [the soldiers] may not be aware of the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, but they know that they must fight for their country's national interests," Ryu Sung-hyun told the Financial Times. "Having completed their mandatory 10-year military 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 their families' standing in North Korea's rigid hierarchy, which will provide additional motivation for heroism.
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