Zelenskyy Claims Russia Burning Faces Of Dead North Korean Soldiers To Conceal Identity | Video

Last Updated:December 18, 2024, 10:46 IST

On Monday, Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency reported that North Korean units fighting for Russia suffered at least 30 casualties

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shared a video on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claiming Russian soldiers were burning the faces of dead North Korean soldiers to conceal their identities before burial in Russia’s Kursk region.

The video posted by Zelenskyy appeared to show the bodies of North Korean soldiers lying dead in positions where they had been killed. It then showed what appeared to be soldiers setting fire to parts of their bodies on snowy ground.

Zelenskyy’s Claims

While posting the video, the Ukrainian President wrote, “Even after years of war, when we thought the Russians could not get any more cynical, we see something even worse. Russia not only sends the North Korean troops to storm Ukrainian positions, but also tries to conceal losses of these people.”

He claimed they tried to hide the presence of North Korean soldiers and prohibited them to show their faces even during training and preparations.

“And now, after first combats with our warriors, Russians are trying to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle. This is a demonstration of disrespect, which is currently prevalent in Russia, a disrespect to everything human,” he wrote.

“There is not a single reason for North Koreans to fight and die for Putin. And even after they do, Russia has only humiliation for them. This madness must be stopped—stoped by a reliable and durable peace, as well as Russia’s accountability for this cynical war,” he urged.

Ukraine Says 30 North Korean Soldiers Lost Lives In Kursk

On Monday, Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency reported that North Korean units fighting for Russia suffered at least 30 casualties, including killed and wounded soldiers, in several villages on the front lines of Russia’s Kursk region over the weekend.

This is the first time Ukraine has detailed North Korean losses on this scale. According to the HUR, the casualties occurred near the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba, and Martynovka, though no evidence was provided to support the claim.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder confirmed that the US had “indications” of casualties among North Korean forces, both killed and wounded. However, the numbers could not be independently verified.

The Kremlin declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, referring the matter to the Russian Defense Ministry, which has remained silent on the issue. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Korean troops. Initially, Pyongyang dismissed reports of the deployment as “fake news,” but a North Korean official later stated that any such deployment would be lawful.

The Ukrainian agency stated that due to the losses, assault groups are being replenished with new personnel, particularly from the 94th separate brigade of the North Korean army, to continue combat operations in the Kursk region.

Ukraine Incursion

In August, Ukrainian forces conducted an incursion into the Kursk region, but Russia’s military claims to have regained much of the territory initially captured by Kyiv. Ukraine first reported the presence of North Korean troops in Kursk in October and later mentioned unspecified clashes and casualties. Kyiv estimates that around 11,000 North Korean soldiers are deployed, adding to the tens of thousands of Russian forces. Ukraine, with nearly a fifth of its territory under Russian control, has established an enclave in the Kursk region, which its troops are working to hold as a potential leverage point in any future peace negotiations.