The war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 with the Russian invasion, has taken increasingly complex and dangerous turns, with a growing presence of foreign soldiers on the battlefield. One of the most disturbing elements of this dynamic is the deployment of North Korean troops, a phenomenon that has intensified in recent weeks, presenting a new challenge for Ukrainian forces. Reports indicate that after intense fighting in the Kursk region, in western Russia, more than a dozen North Korean soldiers were found dead. Among them, Ukrainian military personnel encountered a soldier who was still alive but, upon sensing the approach of Ukrainian forces, detonated a grenade, sacrificing himself rather than being captured.
This extreme act of self-detonation, as described by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces in a social media post, is not an isolated event but part of a growing trend that has been documented by various sources. According to intelligence sources and testimonies from North Korean defectors, North Korea has been sending thousands of soldiers to support Russian forces, many of whom are subjected to intense brainwashing, indoctrination that prepares them to sacrifice themselves in the name of Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of the North Korean regime. This situation raises alarming questions about the methods employed by the regime and the degree of psychological control it exerts over its soldiers.
Kim, a former North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea in 2022, describes the situation in disturbing detail. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, he stated that many of these soldiers have been conditioned since childhood to embrace the regime’s ideology, with a personality cult that leads them to view personal sacrifice as an honor. “They are truly ready to die for the leader,” Kim said, referring to the ideological immersion that makes these soldiers seemingly willing to kill themselves rather than be captured or defeated.
The former soldier revealed that he worked for North Korea in Russia for about seven years, until 2021, on construction projects aimed at raising foreign currency for the Pyongyang regime. He highlighted that, during his time in the country, he witnessed the recruitment of many young soldiers who were sent abroad, particularly to Russia, where they worked under harsh conditions but were constantly reminded of the importance of their mission for the greater good of the regime. “The sacrificial mentality is systematically instilled in them,” he added.
Moreover, Ukrainian and other Western intelligence sources point out that around 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to the Kursk region, a strategic area in western Russia, to support the Russian army in the fight against Ukrainian forces. This deployment of North Korean troops has been a crucial factor in the increased tensions and the escalation of the conflict. Reports from Kiev indicate that over 3,000 of these soldiers have been killed or severely wounded in combat, reflecting the intensity of the battles and the extreme risks faced by these troops.
The presence of North Korean soldiers in the conflict was initially denied by Russian authorities and the Kim Jong-un regime, who labeled the allegations as “fake news.” However, in October 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not officially deny the involvement of North Korean troops, and an official from the North Korean regime argued that the deployment of soldiers was legitimate, based on bilateral agreements with Russia. This further raised suspicions about the increasingly close ties between the two countries, which have been allying against international pressures.
The situation was further highlighted when Ukrainian forces released videos of two captured North Korean soldiers. One of the prisoners expressed a desire to remain in Ukraine, while the other requested to be sent back to North Korea. This episode, which was widely commented on by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, illustrates the division of loyalty among North Korean soldiers, some of whom seem to have questioned the Kim Jong-un regime and identified with the Ukrainian cause.
The war in Ukraine, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022, has now lasted almost three years and has been marked by phases of intense fighting. In the early weeks, Russian forces advanced quickly and captured some areas of Ukrainian territory, including parts of Donbass and Crimea. However, Ukrainian forces managed to successfully resist the invasion, especially in the defense of Kiev, the capital, and other key regions.
Western military support, led by the United States and NATO allies, has been crucial in enabling Ukraine to maintain its sovereignty. Long-range missiles, anti-aircraft defense systems, and other advanced weaponry supplied by countries such as the U.S., the UK, and France have given Ukraine a significant advantage, particularly in resisting Russian air and ground attacks.
However, the war escalated to an even more dangerous stage in October 2024, when Russia deployed intermediate-range hypersonic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. This launch came in response to a Ukrainian offensive that struck Russian territory using Western weaponry. The presence of these missiles on the battlefield raised further concerns about a possible nuclear escalation, especially considering Putin’s aggressive rhetoric and growing cooperation with North Korea.
The Kremlin has kept its strategic objectives clear: the conquest of the entire Donbass region, which includes the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, and the expulsion of Ukrainian forces from areas such as the Kursk region, which has been under Ukrainian control since August 2024. To achieve these goals, Moscow has increasingly relied on its armed forces and collaboration with allies such as North Korea, leading to greater polarization of the conflict and intensifying the war of attrition.
The presence of North Korean soldiers on the battlefield is an indication of how internationalized the conflict has become, with countries outside the Eastern European region now playing significant roles in the escalation of hostilities. For Ukraine, the presence of these troops presents not only a military challenge but also a psychological and ideological one, as it faces enemies willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of a rigid and relentless ideology.
With Western support and internal resistance, Ukraine continues to fight for its sovereignty, but the prospects for the future remain uncertain, with the war dragging on and becoming a more global conflict, where alliances and power dynamics between international powers are increasingly evident. The outcome of this conflict, with all its players and interests, could redefine the geopolitical balance of Europe and the world for many years to come.
