North Korean soldiers sent to help Russia have not yet been allowed into battle because they are so poorly trained, Western officials claim.
One Western official said: “We say due to poor training and lack of logistical support as the primary reasons why DPRK (North Korea) haven’t started the fight yet.”
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Cherniak argued that the North Korean soldiers are involved in the war.
He told Radio Free Europe: “If they (North Korean troops) have joined units engaged in active hostilities, then we can confidently say that they have joined the fight.”
However, Mr Cherniak said that the North Koreans may not be deployed to frontline positions.
He continued: “Maybe they are not in advanced positions, but they enable aggression against Ukraine, ensure the killing of Ukrainian service members.”
Various reports have indicated that Russia has faced teething issues while trying to integrate North Korean troops in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence claimed that North Korean troops have complained about going hungry.
CNN also reported in October that the Russian soldiers are not happy with their new colleagues.
They quoted comms from Russian soldiers, with one saying: “What the f*** are we supposed to do with them?”
The soldier added that the North Koreans “can’t be commanded like ours” and appear “inadequately trained.”
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that some North Korean soldiers have already died in Ukraine.
He claimed to Japanese media outlet Kyodo News that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to fight for Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin brought in the North Korean troops to boost his forces amid reports that Moscow has suffered 700,000 casualties since the start of the invasion in 2022.
One Ukrainian official said: “It’s true that the Russians are able to replace the casualties that they have lost.
“It has to be said that the quality of the replacements are very poor and the training is absolutely minimal.”
