Putin humiliated after Russian troops killed by friendly fire from North Korean soldiers
Vladimir Putin has been dealt a fresh Ukraine war humiliation after his own soldiers were killed in friendly fire from North Korean troops.
Ukraine’s military intelligence, the HUR, confirmed that a squad of Kim Jong Un’s men had opened fire on a group of soldiers in the Kadyrovites paramilitary group in Kursk, killing eight.
A language barrier between Russian and North Korean troops – which remains a “difficult obstacle” on the battlefield for the two armies – was behind the chaotic incident, the HUR said.
The fracas comes just over a month after Ukraine confirmed it had fought against North Korean soldiers for the first time.
Yesterday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky had warned that a “significant number” of the east Asian country’s soldiers were on the ground in Kursk alongside Russian troops to repel the counter-attacking Ukrainians.
He said: “We already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults.
“We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the frontline.”
“Losses among these North Korean troops are already noticeable,” he added – even before the news of the friendly fire came to light.
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Rumours had first emerged in October that North Korean troops were set to join the beleaguered Russian forces in Ukraine.
The US estimates that as many as 11,000 of the secretive state’s soldiers are actively involved in Russia – but several unnamed sources believe Pyongyang may actually deploy as many as 100,000, Bloomberg reported.
It’s understood that their deployment against Ukraine is a move to counter Ukraine’s own incursion into Russian soil back in August.
Ukrainian forces have since dug their heels into the region – seen as a potential bargaining chip in any talks to end the war.
Though it could prove valuable, some military analysts believe the incursion has only lengthened an over-stretched front line.
And with Ukraine outnumbered by Russian – and now, North Korean – troops, fears are rising the embattled Western ally might struggle to continue.
This week, Zelensky is set to plead once more for support from the West.
The Ukrainian president is slated to attend talks with leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Nato, and the EU in Brussels on Wednesday.