By John Q. Hosedrinker 
President Zelenskyy reported that North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russian forces, and preliminary data indicates Russia is attempting to hide the extent of resulting North Korean casualties. Ukrainian forces have documented the deaths of North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast, including an incident of friendly fire against Chechen troops. Intelligence suggests significant losses for North Korean units in mid-December, with estimates reaching at least 30 soldiers killed or wounded. The President emphasized the senselessness of North Korean deaths in this conflict.
Read the original article here
Zelenskyy’s recent statements highlight Russia’s alleged attempts to conceal the significant losses suffered by North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine. The sheer scale of these losses, and the methods employed to hide them, suggests a level of desperation on the part of the Russian military.
The casual disregard for the lives of North Korean soldiers, as alluded to by Zelenskyy, points to a transactional relationship between Russia and North Korea. Both Putin and Kim Jong-un seemingly view their soldiers as expendable commodities, their value measured not in human terms, but in their strategic utility on the battlefield. The implied lack of concern over casualties suggests a disturbingly pragmatic approach to warfare.
Russia’s alleged practice of burning the faces of deceased North Korean soldiers underscores the lengths to which they are going to mask the true extent of their losses. This gruesome tactic aims to prevent identification and hinder any accurate assessment of North Korea’s military contribution to the war effort. The blatant attempt to obscure the truth raises questions about the trustworthiness of any official figures provided by Russia.
The implication is that an accurate count of North Korean casualties would expose the ineffectiveness of the deployment and the high price paid by North Korea for its involvement in the conflict. The potential political fallout, both domestically and internationally, would be significant, necessitating the extreme measures taken to cover up the reality. This desperate attempt at concealment serves only to heighten suspicion and amplify the already alarming implications.
The speculated lack of any North Korean soldiers returning home adds another layer to this grim picture. The risk of exposing these soldiers to outside influences, including Western culture, is considered too high. Kim Jong-un likely would not permit their return for fear of losing control over these individuals, who might question the regime’s narrative upon seeing the realities of the world outside North Korea. This fuels the perception of North Korean soldiers as expendable assets, sacrificing their lives not just for a conflict far from home, but for a cause whose details remain shrouded in secrecy and manipulation.
This systematic effort to conceal losses doesn’t just involve physical measures, but also deliberate misinformation. The suggestion of inflated troop numbers sent to Ukraine allows Russia to claim a larger, more significant contribution from North Korea than the reality would reveal. This propaganda not only serves to bolster their own image, but also allows Kim Jong-un to maintain a facade of strength and military might within his own regime. The discrepancy between reported numbers and actual casualties is a powerful tool for maintaining both internal and external narratives.
The alleged underreporting and the extreme measures to conceal the truth strongly indicate a significant number of North Korean casualties. While the exact figures are shrouded in secrecy, it’s plausible that the number exceeds initial expectations and presents a stark challenge to the official narratives propagated by both Russia and North Korea. This paints a picture where these deaths serve not only as a military cost of war, but as an uncomfortable truth that needs to be obscured.
The contrast between the alleged treatment of North Korean soldiers and the treatment of veterans in other countries, particularly the United States, serves to further underscore the inhumane nature of the situation. While the United States provides extensive support and benefits for its veterans, the North Korean soldiers are seemingly viewed as expendable, disposable cogs in a larger military machine. This stark difference highlights the profound discrepancies in how different nations value their soldiers’ sacrifices.
In conclusion, Zelenskyy’s comments about Russia trying to hide North Korean losses paint a chilling picture of the conflict’s realities. The brutality of the alleged methods used to conceal these losses, coupled with the apparent disregard for the lives of the soldiers themselves, speaks volumes about the nature of the alliances forged in this war. The desperate attempt to maintain a false narrative only serves to reinforce the profound human cost of the conflict and the unethical tactics employed to manage its public image. The alleged effort to conceal casualties paints a grim picture highlighting the harsh realities of the conflict and the immense pressure to maintain the appearance of strength in the face of significant military setbacks.