Two North Korean prisoners of war have revealed that the officers running their battalion told them that South Koreans were operating the drones used in the war against Ukraine
North Korean soldiers in Ukraine were misled by their officers into believing they were fighting South Koreans, according to two prisoners of war captured in January. The soldiers, part of a 500-member battalion supervised by officers from Pyongyang’s State Security Ministry, were told that Ukrainian drones were operated by South Koreans, boosting their morale. South Korea, while an ally of Ukraine, has not provided military aid. The POWs were the first alive since North Korea joined the war, and Ukrainian President Zelensky noted efforts to conceal their involvement. North Korean soldiers are trained to avoid capture, even by suicide. Despite heavy casualties, with around 300 dead and 2,700 injured, South Korean intelligence suggests more North Korean troops may be deployed. Zelensky estimates about 4,000 North Koreans are involved.
