North Korean Soldiers Open Fire on Russian Unit Amid Battlefield Confusion
A captured Russian soldier reports that North Korean troops deployed to assist Russia in combat against Ukraine have put their own units at risk by failing to properly aim their guns, potentially killing two Russian soldiers during an assault. Approximately 8,000 North Koreans are reportedly stationed in Russia’s Kursk region where Ukraine has recently made territorial gains. The decision to bring in North Korean forces is seen by some analysts not as a strategy for winning the war, but as a method for addressing domestic political issues and influencing international perceptions. In return for North Korean assistance, Russia is providing food, money, and space technology, with reports indicating North Korean soldiers are receiving $2,000 per month. It is also reported that Russia intends to place North Korean troops in units with local ethnic minorities in an effort to conceal their presence.