“Like in World War II” – this is how North Koreans fight against Ukrainian soldiers

Sumy. First Lieutenant Vasyl has been a soldier since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in these three years he has experienced a lot. He would never have imagined that one day he would be fighting against North Korean troops in Russia. "Not in my wildest dreams," says the 23-year-old as he takes a drag on his cigarette. Vasyl is the commander of a squad of around 50 men who are normally deployed in the Russian region of Kursk - where North Koreans support the Russian armed forces.

Vasyl's unit is currently in its camp in Ukraine, around 14 kilometers from the Russian border. "We have only been here for two weeks since December, and we spent the rest of the time on the other side of the border," says the officer. The pressure the Russian troops are exerting on the Ukrainians in Kursk is comparable to that which they are exerting on the front in Ukraine - both here and there they have gained ground in recent months.

On the front line: Wassyl is commander of a squad of around 50 men.

Source: Andy Spyra/RND

Ukraine invaded the Kursk region in August by surprise. President Volodymyr Zelensky is counting on using the region as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Russia, which occupies around 20 percent of Ukraine. However, the hope that the offensive would force the Kremlin chief to withdraw troops from eastern Ukraine and stop their advance there has not been fulfilled.

Instead, North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un sent troops to Kursk in the autumn to support the Russian counter-offensive - British military intelligence estimates that there were 11,000 soldiers. On the occasion of the third anniversary of the Russian attack on his country, Zelenskyj said that the North Koreans had lost around 4,000 soldiers in Kursk. Kim plans to send 1,500 to 2,000 new soldiers to make up for the losses. The North Koreans, who also supplied Russia with grenades and rockets, learned from their participation in the war. "On the basis of this experience, they will build modern military training programs in North Korea."

Private Schustryj (39) would like to be quoted by his nickname, which in German can be translated as "nimble" or "witty". The machine gunner from Vasyl's unit is one of those Ukrainians who contributed to the North Koreans' losses: according to his own statements and those of his commander, he killed several of them.

Fighting against North Korean soldiers: machine gunner Schustryj.

Source: Andy Spyra/RND

For hours, the North Korean soldiers repeatedly stormed the Ukrainian positions, says Schustryj. "They are really fast, they are accurate marksmen, and they are well trained." For example, one of them managed to throw a hand grenade through a window from 20 meters away. The Ukrainians were still able to stop the attackers. "Those we couldn't shoot, we killed with artillery and FPV drones" - the latter are kamikaze drones that explode on impact.

Commander Vasyl also says of the opponents from the Far East: "They are definitely good fighters. They have nothing to lose. Either they starve in North Korea or they die here on the front lines." Russians and Ukrainians at least have a choice to some extent as to whether they want to go to war. "That does not apply to the North Koreans. That is why they fight so well."

The North Korean soldiers also learned lessons from the losses at the beginning of the mission, says Vasyl. "At the beginning they fought like in World War II." For example, they completely underestimated the danger posed by combat drones. On his cell phone he shows a drone video in which many white dots can be seen - these are North Korean soldiers who are not seeking protection from the deadly threat from the air.

At first, the North Koreans repeatedly gathered in large groups, making them an easy target for the Ukrainian artillery, says Vasyl. 200 men stormed his unit - and were all killed. "Now they only attack in small groups." Communication between Russian and North Korean troops also seems to have improved.

Plan of attack: A hand-drawn map that Ukrainian soldiers found on a killed North Korean fighter.

Source: Andy Spyra/RND

In a plastic envelope, Vasyl has collected what his soldiers have found on dead enemies. Among them is a North Korean attack plan from November, which is entitled "Order of Battle". The first page shows a map of the battlefield, and three further pages detail the operational plan in Korean.

The paper states that the enemy's resistance should be suppressed with artillery and machine gun fire. Attack teams would advance in coordinated waves to overwhelm the enemy. After the target area has been captured, preparations for a possible counterattack must begin. The care of wounded from within the company's own ranks is also regulated - their transport should therefore be carried out using the company's own vehicles and captured vehicles.

The Ukrainian offensive in Kursk is controversial. Battle-hardened soldiers like those from Vasyl's unit are missing at the front, where the armed forces are struggling with a shortage of personnel. This is also due to the dramatically increased numbers of desertions and unauthorized absences. Last year, the judiciary recorded almost 85,000 such cases - far more than double the total number from the first two years of the war.

Volodymyr is one of those men who deserted - the 27-year-old was supposed to go to Kursk as a tank gunner. In 2018, he fought as a temporary soldier against the pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass, says Volodymyr, who is in hiding in the capital Kiev. He stresses that he would also be willing to defend his homeland on its own territory - whether that is true cannot be verified. "But I don't want to fight in Kursk," he says. "They want me to take part in an operation in another country."

Volodymyr was supposed to go to Kursk as a tank gunner – and deserted.

Source: Andy Spyra/RND

Volodymyr explains that after his training as a tank gunner, he was sent to the city of Sumy near the Russian border. There, comrades told him how much the fighting in Kursk was costing him. He and two other men ran away. Volodymyr says: "I don't want to become mincemeat."

Vasyl says he has no respect for deserters like Volodymyr. His unit has not suffered "really many losses" - the armed forces do not provide precise information on casualties. "For me it makes no difference whether we are fighting in Kursk or in Ukraine," says Vasyl. "The Russians started this war." In Kursk they are now experiencing for themselves what it feels like. "We now have the chance to stop standing there like someone who has to watch helplessly while his house is destroyed. Now we can fight back."

How does the Russian civilian population react to the Ukrainian soldiers? "I would say the relationship is fairly neutral," Vasyl answers. "We don't talk about politics with them." There have been no acts of sabotage or anything like that. "Some even help us." An old man, for example, offered the soldiers water, an old woman offered meat.

The Ukrainians do not want to be discouraged by US President Trump's dubious tactics with Kremlin chief Putin, but want to keep fighting. Nevertheless, the motivation is dwindling, especially among the front-line soldiers, says a military chaplain who is worried about a new world order.

What will happen in Kursk is just as unclear as the future course of the war in Ukraine. Kremlin chief Putin has refused to negotiate about Kursk. Whether Ukraine will play any role at all in possible talks on a ceasefire is questionable given US President Donald Trump's cozy approach to Putin.

When asked whether he feels that the West is abandoning Ukraine, Vasyl says yes. However, he also understands that war weariness is spreading among supporters abroad. "The Ukrainians themselves are also tired of war."

The first lieutenant says that working at the front is impossible without optimism: "But I'm also a realist." The motivation among the soldiers is dwindling. After the Russian attack three years ago, there was a feeling of solidarity. "Back then, we thought we would really beat the Russians. Now it's become a war of exhaustion."

In their camp in north-eastern Ukraine, the soldiers are supposed to regain their strength between combat missions in Kursk. But it is also dangerous here. On the way there, the driver from the unit suddenly drives the armored military vehicle into a group of trees to hide it - a Russian surveillance drone is circling above the area. Only after the all-clear is given does the bumpy ride across the frozen fields continue.

The armored vehicle is an American MRAP, designed to protect passengers from mines and ambushes. It was delivered at a time when the United States was still Ukraine's most important supporter. Vasyl praises the MRAPs, which survived enemy fire in Kursk unscathed.

The camp itself is located in a small forest; the trees are bare in the middle of winter and offer little protection from drones. Vasyl asks that no photos be taken on the way there or in the camp because they could give away the position. The soldiers sleep in underground rooms that they have dug into the ground. A converted trailer serves as a bathroom, and there is also a washing machine. Frozen uniform parts hang on a line outside.

One side of the trailer serves as the back wall for a wooden shed in which Vasyl sits as he talks about the battles in Kursk. A stove provides warmth, a kettle stands on it, and the first lieutenant offers coffee. A laptop stands on a table, and radio batteries are charging next to it.

After the conversation, Vasyl said he had a bad feeling. In the past few days, the number of Russian surveillance drone flights had increased significantly. He feared a missile attack on the camp in the near future. "The Russians definitely know where we are," said the lieutenant. "It's just not our turn yet."

Collaboration: Andrii Kolesnyk