The United States said Friday that Russia was deploying “human sea tactics” against North Korean soldiers, and that at least one soldier captured by Ukraine had died from his injuries.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said some North Korean soldiers took their own lives instead of surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
He said these suicides were “likely due to fear of retaliation if their families were captured in North Korea.”
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed on Friday that a North Korean soldier captured the day before had died.
At least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces carried out a surprise invasion in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a telegram on Friday.
However, Russia has since amassed thousands of troops for a counterattack.
Kirby cited the low number of North Korean deaths, saying more than 1,000 soldiers had died in the past week alone.
The UK Ministry of Defense estimates that more than 1,500 Russian soldiers are injured or killed every day, and that the number of casualties in November was more than 45,000, the highest since the start of the war. The number is “probably,” he added. This reflects the increased tempo of Russian operations and attacks. ”
To supplement its counterattack, Russia turned to its ally North Korea. North Korea has an estimated 11,000 soldiers stationed in Ukraine, according to estimates by the United States and its allies.
Kirby said North Korean forces were conducting a “massive dismounted attack on Ukrainian military positions in Kursk.” Although these “human sea tactics” were ineffective, he acknowledged that Russia’s heavy attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure were making it difficult for Ukrainians to survive the winter.
Neither Russia nor North Korea officially acknowledge sending troops.
Kirby said North Korea’s military is being treated as “expendable” and ordered by its leadership to launch “desperate attacks against Ukraine’s defenses.”
“These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated and press ahead with attacks even when it is clear that the attacks are futile,” he said.
The exact number of North Korean soldiers who committed suicide to avoid capture is unknown. President Zelensky said on Friday that “several” North Korean soldiers had been captured but were “severely injured and could not be resuscitated,” adding that some may have been killed by their comrades. suggested.
These troops have been sent into battle with “minimal protection” and have suffered “heavy” losses, he said.
Still, the Ukrainians have not been able to capture them as prisoners of war, he added. “Their own people are executing them.”
