The claim follows reports that three North Korean soldiers were killed in Russia’s Kursk region, and their documents were seized by Ukraine’s special operations forces, CNN reports.
Ukraine’s military has accused Russia of attempting to conceal the presence of North Korean soldiers by issuing them fake military identification documents with Russian names and birthplaces.
The claim follows reports that three North Korean soldiers were killed in Russia’s Kursk region, and their documents were seized by Ukraine’s special operations forces, CNN reports.
The documents lacked the proper stamps and photos, and listed the soldiers’ birthplaces as the Republic of Tuva, a Russian region. However, the signatures were in Korean, revealing their true origin.
“This case once again confirms that Russia is resorting to any means to hide its losses on the battlefield and conceal foreign presence,” said the Ukrainian military in a statement on Sunday.
Estimates from Ukrainian, US, and South Korean intelligence suggest that up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia, with many already engaged in combat operations in the Kursk region alongside Russian forces.
Ukrainian and US officials have reported that North Korean troops in the region have suffered heavy losses, with a senior US official claiming "several hundred" casualties since October.
A South Korean lawmaker added that nearly 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed and over 900 wounded in the same period.
On December 17, Ukraine’s special forces reported that 50 North Korean soldiers were killed and 47 wounded in just three days of fighting.
Ukrainian units also described North Koreans using outdated infantry tactics similar to those from the Korean War.
"Russians are trying… to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, highlighting Russia’s extreme methods to hide the identity of fallen North Korean soldiers.
On December 15, a Ukrainian drone unit released video footage allegedly showing the bodies of over 20 North Korean soldiers lined up in a field.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of concealing the bodies to avoid publicising the involvement of North Koreans in the war, with Lt. Andrii Kovalenko revealing that bodies are often collected by tracked vehicles shortly after being arranged. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.