Several thousand North Korean soldiers are said to have been sent to Russia to contribute to the Russian side in the war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has referred to the soldiers from North Korea as the first step towards world war. Now they are being enticed to switch sides. – Surrender! Ukraine will protect you and give you food and warmth, says a Ukrainian campaign, aimed at the North Korean soldiers. The message is conveyed on social media by the “I want to live project”, Хочу жить, which was initially established to look after Russian soldiers who defect. At the end of October, North Korean soldiers were observed at a base in eastern Russia. Ukrainian authorities claim these are now on their way to fight in the Kursk region. Photo: x It is unlikely that North Korean soldiers have access to X, but here too the call is published in Korean. In one of the appeals, it is stated that several thousand Russian soldiers have already made the right choice, writes NK News. Furthermore, it says that “they are now waiting for the war to end in comfortable barracks, three hot meals a day and health care.” The government’s “I want to live project” has support from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and the Directorate of Intelligence. South Korean newspapers cover the news that North Korean soldiers may be sent to the front on the Russian side in the Ukraine war. Photo: ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP Left their posts The first phase of sending North Korean soldiers to Russia is said to have begun on 8 October. Ukrainian authorities claim that North Korea will send 12,000 soldiers to fight on the Russian side. South Korean intelligence estimates the number to be 10,000 North Koreans by December, writes NKNews. A few days after deployment at the border with Ukraine, 18 North Korean soldiers are said to have left their posts. This is reported by Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne, according to Newsweek. The broadcaster cites intelligence sources as saying that the Russian army is searching for the soldiers, while officers are trying to hide the incident from senior management. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been given Photo: Gavriil Grigorov / AP Audio recording Language and cultural differences will make it very challenging for Russian and North Korean soldiers to stand shoulder to shoulder in a war. Ukrainian surveillance is said to have intercepted conversations between Russian soldiers in which it becomes clear that they do not understand how to deal with this situation, writes CNN. At one point the Koreans are referred to as “the h… Chinese”. – What the hell are we going to do with them?, Russian soldiers are said to have said about the challenge. The conversations are said to have been intercepted from encrypted Russian communication channels on 23 October. This 2018 file photo shows North Korean soldiers at a military parade in Pyongyang, marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK. Photo: DANISH SIDDIQUI / Reuters A special battalion The North Korean soldiers, who are sent to the front at Kursk, are said to have received training in the far east of Russia. The Ukrainian army has had a foothold in the region after it carried out a surprise attack there earlier this year. The North Koreans are said to have been commissioned to form a special battalion called Buryat, which is the name of the ethnic group of Mongols, who belong to Siberia, Mongolia and China. They are said to have been given Russian uniforms, weapons and fake ID papers, in order to appear as locals, writes CNN. South Koreans live with the fear of war. Not all citizens are thrilled that the government is considering taking part in the Ukraine conflict by contributing weapons to Kyiv. Photo: Ahn Young-joon / AP International conflict North Korea believes that it is not against international law if they send soldiers to Russia, but have not confirmed that they are actually doing so. At the same time, South Korea is considering helping Ukraine with weapons. South and North Korea are technically still at war. – The conflict is about to become international, says North Korea expert Pascal Dayez-Burgeon, to the AFP news agency. He still does not believe that North Korean soldiers on the Russian side in themselves contribute to an escalation of the war in Ukraine. Published 27.10.2024, at 11.55 Updated 27/10/2024, at 11.57
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Ukraine urges North Korean soldiers to defect – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
