North Korean troops fight with WWII-era tactics in Russia’s war on Ukraine

The Wall Street Journal reported the information.

Soldiers from Ukraine’s 225th Separate Assault Regiment and the 8th Separate Special Operations Regiment were the first to engage North Korean troops on Russian territory.

“They kept advancing, advancing, advancing forward… We had a company stationed there, while they were attacking in battalions,” said Oleh Shyriaiev, commander of the 225th Regiment.

According to Ukrainian troops, during the initial clashes, North Korean forces acted en masse and without using communications, drones, or artillery—applying tactics similar to those used during World War II. Ukrainian forces described this as an “easy target.” Later, Shyriaiev noted, they began operating under cover of artillery and glide bombs, becoming fully integrated into the Russian army. The North Koreans adapted their tactics, moving in small groups of 3–5 soldiers.

“The Koreans assault positions because they are better psychologically and physically prepared. They exert great effort,” said Shyriaiev.

In December 2024, the 8th Special Operations Regiment was assigned a mission to track North Korean activity. The battle was so intense, according to a soldier with the call sign Bulat, that it lit up the night sky “like a laser show.”

According to Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, 21 North Koreans were killed in that clash, 40 were wounded, and three were taken prisoner—one of whom died during evacuation. All nine Ukrainian special forces soldiers returned safely. The total estimated North Korean casualties were about 5,000.

• On February 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that North Korean troops had resumed combat operations in the Kursk region.
• On February 12, Ruslan Mikula, co-founder and analyst at DeepState, reported that Russians had withdrawn some North Korean troops, but a portion of them continued to participate in assaults in the Kursk area.
• In late February, Reuters reported that North Korea had deployed additional forces to Russia’s Kursk region, though the exact size of the contingent was unknown.
• On March 27, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing the South Korean armed forces, reported that North Korea had likely sent at least 3,000 more troops to Russia in January and February to support the war against Ukraine.