ISW analyses data on Russia's use of North Korean soldiers in its assaults
www.pravda.com.ua
Sun, 15 Dec 2024 03:54:30 +0200
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War ISW have analysed data on the participation of North Korean troops in assaults against Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast.
They added that North Koreas ability to take into account the lessons learned during the fighting with Russia will deteriorate significantly if North Korean soldiers are exhausted at the same level as the Russian military.
Source ISW Details Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on 14 December that the Russian military had deployed North Korean soldiers in infantry assaults in Kursk Oblast. Zelenskyy reported that the Russian military is integrating a significant number of North Korean troops into Russian units operating in Kursk Oblast, adding that these soldiers have already suffered noticeable losses.
He highlighted that Russian forces have so far used North Korean troops exclusively in offensive operations in Kursk Oblast but may deploy them to other unspecified frontline areas in the future.
This marks the first instance of a Ukrainian official reporting North Korean forces conducting assault operations since Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov mentioned in an interview with South Koreas national broadcaster KBS on 5 November that Ukrainian forces had engaged in smallscale clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast.
Russian milbloggers have also recently acknowledged North Korean involvement in assaults in the region, claiming on 12 and 13 December that North Korean soldiers participated in the capture of Plekhovo south of Sudzha on 6 December.
The ISW couldnt independently verify these claims. However, ISW previously noted that North Koreas ability to learn and integrate lessons from fighting alongside Russia is likely to be significantly hindered if the Russian military command continues to deploy North Korean troops in the same highly attritional, infantryled assaults used for most Russian personnel.
To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 14 December Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on 14 December that the Russian military has deployed North Korean soldiers in infantry assaults in Kursk Oblast.
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