Drone attack on alleged North Korean troops in Kursk.
Occupation of the 8th Special Purpose Regiment
North Korea’s XI Corps killed about 200 soldiers in a series of raids targeting Ukrainian military positions in Russia’s western Kursk region over the weekend, according to the latest official estimates from Andriy Kovalenko, head of Kiev’s counter-disinformation center. caused casualties.
At least some of these casualties were caused by first-person exploding drones decorated with Christmas decorations. reindeer. Santa. Elf. It’s a bird.
Video of a celebratory drone strike carried out by the Ukrainian 8th Special Purpose Regiment, deployed to the southwestern edge of the 250-square-mile salient carved out by Ukrainians from Kursk in August, was posted online Tuesday.
The dark humor of the Ukrainian drone operators belies the deadly seriousness of their mission. North Korean manpower has significantly strengthened the Russian offensive in Kursk, with combined Russian and North Korean forces on the eastern edge of the salient after three costly infantry attacks last weekend. It made it possible to retake a certain Prehove village.
Russia and North Korea have a combined total of about 60,000 troops stationed in and around Kursk. There are only 20,000 Ukrainians. However, the imbalance in manpower only gives Russia and North Korea a small advantage, since attacking across open land is always more dangerous than defending from entrenched positions.
And that advantage could quickly disappear if Russian and North Korean commanders do not adapt to the Ukrainian way. The first attack over the weekend saw dismounted infantry walking in formation across a snowy field with no apparent support from artillery or aircraft. Wearing dark camouflage uniforms, the North Koreans stood out against the white snow, making them easy targets for Ukrainian FPV drones and cluster shells.
For the North Korean survivors, at least they did not march into battle under the false impression that by standing still they could hide from the unblinking gaze of nearby drone operators. It’s a cold comfort, like trying to escape and blending into the surrounding grass. North Koreans have been observed jumping out of the way of drone attacks, but they are not always successful.
Some Russian trainees sometimes practice dodging incoming FPVs with the help of a bizarre “drone on a rope” training aid, but it’s clear that the drones are approaching. Some trainees are instructed to freeze in place when they see or hear something.
There is ample evidence that Russian soldiers have tried this tactic, and just as much evidence that it doesn’t work. Drone cameras are very good. And their operators are very skilled.
Evasion may have saved a few North Koreans last weekend, but casualties across the XI Corps remained alarmingly high.
It is clear that Russian commanders want to obscure the scale of losses. “Despite Russia’s efforts to cover up North Korea’s failures through rapid evacuations, footage of attacks on North Korean soldiers, failures and corpses is already in the public domain,” Kovalenko said.
