North Korean forces have initiated assaults on Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk region, according to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. This development comes amidst Russia’s sustained aggression towards Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
Kirby revealed to the press that North Korean units are engaging in coordinated ground attacks on Ukrainian positions in Kursk, utilizing ‘massed dismounted assaults.’ These troops, predominantly on foot, exhibit a high level of indoctrination, pressing forward with attacks even in the face of evident futility. Some soldiers are resorting to suicide, possibly fearing repercussions on their families if captured as prisoners of war.
Despite the limited effectiveness of the ‘human wave tactics’ and the significant losses suffered by North Korean troops, Kirby acknowledged Russia’s gradual advancements in eastern Ukraine and its persistent targeting of Ukraine’s energy facilities.
The United States is gearing up to provide additional security assistance to aid Kyiv in repelling attacks and retaliating against Russia and its North Korean allies. Kirby emphasized that existing U.S. restrictions on Ukraine’s use of donated weaponry against Russian targets, whether Russian or North Korean, remain unchanged.
These revelations underscore the ongoing deployment of North Korean forces by Russia in its protracted invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously disclosed the organization of North Korean battalions to combat in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine successfully launched a surprise offensive this summer and maintained control over several border cities in recent months.
South Korea’s intelligence agency estimates that around 11,000 North Korean troops have been dispatched to Russia, resulting in casualties numbering in the thousands, encompassing both fatalities and injuries.
Kirby expressed profound concern over Putin’s decision to deploy foreign troops on Russian soil for defensive purposes, a rare and historic occurrence. He cautioned about the potential consequences by remarking, ‘I hope they’re loading up their commanders with a bunch of body bags, because they’re clearly going to need them.’
