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By Maya Mehrara
News Reporter
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What's New
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Russian troops are burning the faces of North Korean soldiers that have been killed in battle in a new post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Zelensky wrote about Russian efforts to conceal the presence of soldiers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Russia, including a video highlighting the alleged practice of burning slain soldiers' faces.
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Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the video or Zelensky's allegations.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the North Korean embassy in the U.K. and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Why It Matters
With increasing losses of Russian troops, North Korean soldiers have joined the fight in the war with Ukraine, particularly along the front lines in the Russian region of Kursk, where Kyiv launched an incursion in early August. When initially reporting the loss of North Korean soldiers in Kursk, Ukraine's military spy agency wrote: "Due to the losses, the assault groups are being replenished with fresh personnel, in particular from the 94th separate brigade of the DPRK army, to continue active combat operations in Kursk region."
What To Know
The face burning allegation comes as Ukraine reported that at least 30 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were killed near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba and Martynovka in the Kursk region over the weekend, according to Reuters.
Ukraine previously said that an estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Kursk to fight alongside Moscow's forces.
On Monday Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said: "We do assess that North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat in Kursk... we do have indications that they have suffered casualties, both killed and wounded."
Russia has not confirmed or denied the presence of DPRK soldiers, and Pyongyang initially denied the reports of troop deployment, calling them "fake news."
Although Russia has captured approximately 40 percent of the territory Ukraine previously seized in Kursk, they have deployed 50,000 troops, including DPRK soldiers, to push back against further advances by Kyiv.
North Korean troops reportedly seized their first village from Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk last week.
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What People Are Saying
In his post on X, Zelensky wrote: "Even after years of war, when we thought the Russians could not get any more cynical, we see something even worse. Russia not only sends the North Korean troops to storm Ukrainian positions, but also tries to conceal losses of these people. They tried to hide the presence of North Korean soldiers. It was prohibited to show their faces during training.
"The Russians attempted to erase any video evidence of their presence. And now, after first combats with our warriors, Russians are trying... to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle. This is a demonstration of disrespect, which is currently prevalent in Russia, a disrespect to everything human. There is not a single reason for North Koreans to fight and die for Putin. And even after they do, Russia has only humiliation for them. This madness must be stopped—stopped by a reliable and durable peace, as well as Russia's accountability for this cynical war."
Journalist and writer Paula Chertok wrote on X: "Yikes how barbaric. Assad really is right at home in Russia. Apparently, the Kremlin is now ordering to BURN the faces of the North Korea soldiers killed in battle, to hide evidence of their deployment in Russia's war on Ukraine."
What Happens Next
As the war continues, it remains to be seen how much North Korean soldiers will contribute to the fighting on the front lines, and how much they can assist Moscow in defending territories it has seized from Kyiv.
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