North Korea threatens citizens over rumors about soldiers killed in Ukraine war
Photo: North Korea threatens citizens with punishment (Getty Images)
North Korean authorities have threatened citizens with punishment for spreading rumors about soldiers who died during the war in Ukraine, according to Newsweek.
The estimates from the US and South Korea suggest that Kim Jong Un's regime has sent over 11,000 troops to Russia. After brief training last fall, North Korean forces were deployed to Kursk, where Russian troops have been attempting to hold back Ukraine's counteroffensive since August.
Despite tight control over information, some North Koreans have begun privately raising questions about the fighting as the number of fatalities increases.
Authorities have ordered citizens at workplaces and in community gatherings to report anyone spreading rumors, with warnings of punishment for those who fail to do so.
An anonymous source revealed that employees at the Tokchon Motor Complex in South Pyongan province, north of Pyongyang, are among those given this directive.
"As news spreads of 11th Corps soldiers continuing to die in Russia, it seems they are trying to suppress the rumors," one of the sources said.
North Korea’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine
On February 6, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that North Korea had deployed 12,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region, with an estimated 4,000 fatalities among its forces.
According to military sources, one of three North Korean brigades has been effectively destroyed, while the other two have lost combat effectiveness. Amid reports of heavy losses, speculation emerged that North Korean forces had withdrawn from active combat.
However, Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov recently dismissed these claims. According to him, about 8,000 North Korean troops remain engaged on the front lines in Kursk, though in reduced numbers.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia has redeployed additional North Korean soldiers to the Kursk region.
