North Korean soldiers sent to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine believed they were going on a training exercise

Newly surfaced footage reveals that North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine were misled about the nature of their deployment, with many believing they were simply participating in a training exercise. The heartbreaking revelation comes as thousands of North Korean troops have already been killed or injured in the ongoing conflict.

In a disturbing clip shared online, two wounded North Korean soldiers, captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, spoke to translators. They revealed that their families were unaware of their whereabouts and that they had been sent to the front lines under pretenses. One of the injured soldiers, when asked if he wanted to return to North Korea, responded, “Are all Ukrainian people good?” He further added, “I want to live here.”

According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, at least 300 North Korean soldiers have lost their lives in Russia since being sent to bolster Russian forces. Analysts have warned that the entire contingent of 12,000 North Korean soldiers could be wiped out within the next three months due to the high casualty rates.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 3,800 North Korean soldiers have already been wounded or killed in the Russian region of Kursk. The fighting there has intensified, with Ukrainian forces targeting Russian and North Korean troops. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimates that North Korean losses are averaging 92 soldiers per day, and if the current casualty rate continues, the entire contingent may be gone by mid-April.

As Ukrainian forces continue to defend the region, Russia has reportedly sent wave after wave of troops, including the North Koreans, to storm frontline positions, often using them as “cannon fodder” in a desperate attempt to reclaim territory. The situation in Kursk remains dire, with significant losses on both sides.