North Korean Friendly Fire Kills Russian Troops in Ukraine
On December 14th, Ukraine’s HUR reported a “friendly fire” incident in Kursk Oblast, where North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia killed eight Russian Chechen soldiers due to a language barrier. This incident, along with an estimated 200 total deaths among combined North Korean and Russian units, highlights communication challenges stemming from the deployment of North Korean troops. Prior warnings of over 10,000 North Korean troops massing in the region, and the implementation of Russian military protocols to manage this deployment, underscore the increasing involvement of North Korean forces in the conflict. The incident represents one of the first reported direct clashes between North Korean and Ukrainian forces.
John Q. Hosedrinker