Dramatic video has emerged showing a North Korean soldier fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine being blown up after triggering a landmine while using a makeshift sled.
The Explosive Incident
The incident, which occurred on a snowy forest path, was captured on video by a Russian comrade. The footage shows the soldier being violently thrown backwards by the blast. A Russian voice is heard commenting, "The [North] Koreans are putting on a show.....****ing brilliant!" before exclaiming "Oh f**k!" as the explosion erupts.
It remains unknown whether the soldier survived the blast, but others nearby were seen scrambling in the aftermath. The event underscores the perilous conditions faced by North Korean personnel deployed to the conflict zone.
Pyongyang's Costly Support for Moscow
This incident is a stark illustration of the heavy price North Korea is paying for its support of Vladimir Putin's war effort. Kim Jong-un's determination to back Russia has reportedly resulted in approximately 4,700 North Korean casualties, including killed and wounded troops.
Tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent to Ukraine or to support the war, with many engaged in high-risk activities like mine clearance, particularly in Russia's Kursk region. This area was occupied by Ukrainian forces earlier in the conflict.
Desperate Tactics and High Casualties
Testimony from elite Ukrainian soldiers paints a grim picture of the North Koreans' experience. A commander from the Special Operations Forces (SOF), using the codename Puls, revealed that some North Korean troops have blown themselves up with grenades to avoid capture. He recounted one soldier shouting "General Kim Jong-un" before taking his own life as Ukrainian forces closed in.
Puls, of the 1st Combat Divers Battalion, described the DPRK reinforcements as "brainwashed," disciplined, and motivated, but employing outdated "cannon-fodder tactics." He stated that Kim's troops have been killed "within the first few minutes" as they advance in "large waves" on Ukrainian positions, leading to devastating losses.
The casualties have been so severe that North Korean forces are currently absent from certain frontlines, potentially indicating a rotation of units to replace decimated formations.
Attempts to Conceal Involvement
Evidence suggests concerted efforts to hide the scale and identity of North Korean involvement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian forces of trying to burn the faces of fallen North Korean allies to prevent identification.
Furthermore, Ukraine's armed forces report that fake documents have been issued to these foreign reinforcements in an attempt to obscure their origins and the true extent of Pyongyang's military commitment to the Kremlin's war.
