First video of killed North Korean soldiers at frontline: Ukrainian army shows footage from Selidovo

The Telegram channel "Gostri Kartuzi" published a video showing the liquidation of a North Korean soldier in the near rear zone of Russian troops at a distance of about 5 kilometers from the front near Selidovo. Experts, having analyzed the face of the deceased in detail, determined that he was a representative of Korean nationality. Military expert Alexander Kovalenko explained that the physiognomic features of North Koreans, formed against the background of chronic malnutrition and vitamin deficiency, indicate that the liquidated fighter came from North Korea.
The video also shows that the deceased was carrying a large load , the volume of which is comparable to his build. This suggests that the Russians may be using North Koreans as labor to transport ammunition and provisions to the front lines. As Kovalenko notes, such a practice is common among Russian troops, since the use of equipment in the frontline zone is difficult due to the systematic destruction of vehicles by Ukrainian drones. Thus, the delivery of goods is carried out by foot porters who carry supplies on their backs.
The expert added that the use of North Koreans as labor in the war zone raises questions and suggested waiting for official confirmation before drawing final conclusions. Putin’s forces are believed to be losing hundreds of troops a day, with Ukrainian estimates going as high as 1,200 to 1,500, so the more than 10,000 troops South Korea believes are in Russia. “In the big picture, even 12,000 soldiers don’t affect the general situation of the war significantly,” says Emil Kastehelmi, who runs the Black Bird Group, which tracks the war in Ukraine.

The troops are already under fire, being shelled in the Russian border region of Kursk, according to Kyiv. That is the area where Ukrainian troops have held territory, having started a daring raid in August.

Questions have been raised about the calibre of the North Korean troops, not least because none of the group, which includes 500 officers and three generals, have any combat experience. North Korea’s isolation on the international stage means that its troops, which number more than a million, have faced nothing but training.

“None would think they are going to Russia to die,” Choi Jung Hoon, a former first lieutenant in North Korea’s army, told the Associated Press. “But I think they’re cannon fodder because they will be sent to the most dangerous sites and will surely be killed.”