Ukrainian forces obtained a notebook of an eliminated North Korean soldier, who was fighting alongside the Russians in Kursk Oblast. It includes notes on how to counter Ukrainian drones and evade Ukrainian artillery, while also a has a Birthday message to a brother-in-arms.
In October 2024, Ukraine reported that North Korea has deployed approximately 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia, primarily to the Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainians captured a part of the territory. Russia cannot liberate their region since August 2024 and face significant manpower shortages due to ongoing casualties in Ukraine. By deploying North Korean troops, Moscow aims to bolster its forces without further straining its domestic military resources.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces Command shared translated excerpts from the notebook of the North Korean soldier.
“When detecting a drone, you need to create a trio (3 people), while the one who lures the drone maintains a distance of 7 meters, and those who shoot – 10-12 meters. If the one who lures stands still, the drone will also stop its movement. At this moment, the shooter eliminates the drone,” the North Korean soldier wrote.
The notebook, authored by Private Gyeong Hong Jong, also outlines artillery evasion strategies:
“In case of getting into a shelling zone, after designating the next assembly point (for the group), you need to split into small groups and exit the shelling zone. Another method: since artillery doesn’t strike the same point twice, you can hide at the point of (previous) impact, and then exit the shelling zone.”
It contains a birthday message to a brother-in-arms, directly confirming North Korean military deployment in Russia:
“Having left my homeland, while on Russian territory, I congratulate my best friend and army brother Song Ji Myeong (Yong) on his birthday and wish him good health, December 9, 2024.”
According to Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces Command, the origin of these tactics – whether developed by North Korea or taught by Russian forces – remains unclear.
As of late December 2024, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that over 1,100 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded since their involvement began.
In addition to troop deployment, North Korea has been supplying Russia with artillery ammunition and other military supplies. In return, North Korean soldiers are reportedly compensated financially for their support.
Related:
- Hundreds of North Korean troops killed or injured fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk, US military says
- Forbes: Ukraine’s artillery decimates North Korean troops with US cluster munitions
- ISW: Russia denies North Korean troops in Kursk to mask military dependence
- Zelenskyy: Russians burn faces of killed North Korean soldiers to conceal losses
