How North Koreans fight in Ukraine: documents expose Pyongyang’s motivations in Russia-Ukraine war

Washington Post published that Ukrainian forces have recently uncovered a piece of paper taken from a dead North Korean soldier, featuring phrases like "Resistance is futile," "Surrender," and "You're all surrounded," written in Korean and roughly transliterated into Russian. This discovery sheds light on how Russia may have trained its North Korean allies to target Ukrainian prisoners during their attacks on the frontlines.

The recovered documents, along with other battlefield findings, are helping Ukrainian troops gain a deeper understanding of the thousands of North Korean soldiers who have been joining the assault in recent weeks, marking a significant new phase in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine appears to be more determined to acquire evidence of North Korea's growing involvement in the war as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. Trump, who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un many times during his previous administration, has promised to bring the war to a conclusion.

The discovered objects are noteworthy given the difficulty Ukrainian troops experienced in capturing and interrogating North Korean soldiers throughout the war. Unlike many Russian soldiers, who Ukrainian forces claim frequently surrender, North Koreans prefer to fight to the death or use grenades to evade capture.

Ukrainian soldiers have analyzed the actions of North Korean troops, as well as the belongings of deceased North Korean soldiers, and shared their insights. Vlad, 31, a member of the 1st Battalion of Ukraine’s 8th Special Operations Forces Regiment, the unit that showed the gear and documents to the Post, said Russia appears to have followed a “best for the guest” mentality when preparing their allies for battle.

“The Russians were much more poorly equipped,” he said. “The Russians tried to show off for the North Koreans.” 

Recently, there have been no North Korean soldiers on the battlefields, but Vitalii, 25, another soldier in the special forces battalion who spent eight hours locked in a firefight with North Korean troops last month said “They are licking their wounds.”

It's surprising to see how ideologically motivated North Korean soldiers are, believing they are defending their homeland. For example, an excerpt from a letter by a deceased North Korean soldier highlights an unwavering dedication to protecting their country: “You experienced heartbreaking sacrifices and the joys of costly battle victories, many noble combat experiences, the priceless feeling of genuine camaraderie and patriotism, all so far away from the motherland,” one of the messages read. “I don’t even know how I can find the words to properly encourage and express gratitude for your dedication and tireless efforts.”

When North Korean troops first came on the battlefield last month, Ukrainian soldiers were taken aback by the way they moved in huge groupings and made no attempt to hide from Ukrainian drones. Many were easily killed in those initial waves, but in subsequent fights, the fresh recruits proved to be combat-ready, physically fit, and expert marksmen, according to Ukrainian officials.

Amed Khan, an American philanthropist who provides direct support to Ukrainian special forces, showed the Washington Post a separate collection of North Korean documents that he claimed Ukrainian troops had recovered in Kursk, which he later had translated. 

While the Post could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents, they seemed to match other North Korean materials reviewed by the outlet and aligned with independent Ukrainian reports of North Korean behavior on the battlefield. 

The documents, typed in Korean, indicate that North Korean forces are documenting their combat experiences in detail and appear to be using these experiences to better understand new technologies. Ukraine has raised concerns that Pyongyang is using this opportunity to gain practical battlefield knowledge for potential future conflicts with the West.

According to one document, they look to be learning from their mistakes: "In modern warfare, where real-time reconnaissance and drone strikes are conducted, failing to disperse combat teams into smaller units of two to three members could lead to significant casualties from enemy drones and artillery."

Khan said he hopes Trump will press for Pyongyang to back out of the war, and “explain to everyone that it’s in nobody’s interest… [for North Korean troops] to be getting killed seven time zones away from home on the border of Ukraine.”

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, up to 4,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in recent weeks, with only two captured alive. Both men were injured and taken into custody in Kyiv, where Zelenskyy stated they are being interrogated and treated for their injuries.

• North Korean troops, integrated into Russian forces, have suffered unprecedented losses in the Kursk region, with reinforcements expected as their initial deployment fails to achieve strategic objective.