North Korean troops are better trained than Russian soldiers for Kursk battles, captured Russians say

Senior Sergeant Petro Haidashchuk of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade shared these insights during an interview with Espreso TV.

"While our brigade has not yet captured any North Korean soldiers, Russian prisoners have said they underwent training alongside North Korean military personnel. The captives indicated that the North Koreans were easily distinguishable and received superior training and equipment compared to Russian contract soldiers," he said.

"The main task assigned to the North Koreans was to carry out assault operations, while Russian forces were expected to secure positions after any gains," Haidashchuk added.

Additionally, the Russian captives mentioned that during training, they were kept separate from the North Korean soldiers, with no interaction beyond joint combat activities. This segregation was due to language barriers and deliberate isolation in living and dining arrangements.

“The attitude of the occupying Russian forces to the North Koreans is unclear. According to the captured Russians, they have not had any contact with them. First, there is a language barrier between them. Secondly, North Koreans live, eat, and do everything completely separated from the Russian invaders. They have no joint actions, except for combat,” he added.

These revelations come amid reports that Ukrainian defense forces have captured two wounded North Korean soldiers during battles in Russia's Kursk region. The captured individuals have been transported to Kyiv for further investigation.

In response to these developments, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on January 12 that Ukraine is willing to repatriate captured North Korean soldiers if Kim Jong-un can facilitate the return of Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. The Kremlin has declined to comment on Zelenskyy's proposal.