In a briefing to lawmakers, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that over 300 North Korean soldiers have perished and more than 2,700 have been wounded while fighting in Ukraine alongside Russia. These troops have reportedly received orders to commit suicide rather than be captured. The assessment suggests significant North Korean casualties in the conflict.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that at least 300 North Korean soldiers have died and 2,700 have been wounded fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, largely due to their inexperience in modern warfare. These casualties align with President Zelensky’s earlier claim of 4,000 total North Korean casualties. The NIS also alleges that North Korean soldiers have been forced to commit suicide to evade capture by Ukrainian forces, a claim corroborated by the White House. Recently, Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers, highlighting the ongoing conflict’s impact on North Korean troops deployed to support Russia.
South Korean intelligence estimates that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have suffered casualties—300 dead and 2,700 wounded—while fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk. These losses are attributed to the North Korean troops’ inexperience with modern warfare, evidenced by their reported inability to counter long-range drones and a policy encouraging suicide to avoid capture. Two captured North Korean soldiers are now potentially subject to a prisoner exchange. The deployment, part of a mutual defense pact between North Korea and Russia, has caused concern among the families of the soldiers who fear they are being treated as expendable.
A Russian drone mistakenly attacked a North Korean-made surface-to-air missile (SAM) system in Russian service, initially misidentified as a Western radar system. The incident, which occurred in Kursk Oblast, was captured on video and publicized through Russian military channels. The North Korean SAM system, a known analog of Russia’s Tor system, was first seen publicly in 2020. This friendly fire incident highlights the increasing use of North Korean military equipment by Russia in the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskiy’s proposal to exchange North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia presents a complex and potentially futile diplomatic gambit. The core issue hinges on whether either Russia or North Korea would find this exchange beneficial, considering the grim realities facing these soldiers upon return.
The very idea of North Korean soldiers wanting to be repatriated seems dubious. Many sources suggest that defection carries a severe penalty, potentially execution or worse, leading to a strong presumption that these soldiers would face dire consequences at home. The North Korean regime’s disregard for its soldiers’ lives, evidenced by orders to kill themselves rather than surrender, further diminishes the likelihood of Pyongyang’s willingness to participate.… Continue reading
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy released video footage of captured North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast. These prisoners, interviewed and shown expressing varying desires to return home, highlight North Korea’s military support for Russia’s war effort. Zelenskyy offered to return the soldiers to North Korea in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. The captured soldiers’ conflicting statements about their deployment and understanding of the conflict underscore the complex situation.
A drone attack on January 7-8 ignited a fire at the Kombinat Kristal oil depot in Engels, Saratov Oblast, resulting in a five-day firefighting effort. Two firefighters perished, and one was hospitalized during the extensive operation. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Engels, and while the fire is now under control, Governor Busargin reported decreasing smoke and fire size. The depot, a federal facility supplying the Engels-2 airbase, sustained significant damage.
Amidst concerns regarding potential shifts in U.S. support for Ukraine, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas affirmed the EU’s readiness to assume a leading role in aiding the country. This commitment follows expressed skepticism from President-elect Trump’s team about continued substantial U.S. financial aid. A potential Trump administration proposal to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership for two decades in exchange for Western arms and European peacekeepers has been reported. Kallas emphasized a shared U.S. and EU interest in preventing Russia from becoming the world’s dominant power.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the capture of two wounded North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, currently receiving medical care and being questioned in Kyiv. Zelenskyy highlighted the rarity of this capture, citing typical Russian practices of eliminating wounded North Korean soldiers to hide their involvement in the war. He attributed the capture to the difficult efforts of Ukrainian forces and has granted media access to the prisoners. These captures follow earlier reports of thousands of North Korean troops deployed to Ukraine by Russia and suffering heavy casualties.
Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a drone strike on the Taneco oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Russia, a facility crucial for supplying the Russian military. This attack, the second on the refinery in less than a year, resulted in a reported fire, though Russian authorities denied this, attributing the visible flames to routine operations. The refinery boasts a significant refining capacity exceeding 16 million tons annually. Ukrainian officials claim such strikes hinder Russia’s war effort by disrupting fuel supplies.
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood