The Ukrainian military intelligence has launched a psychological warfare campaign against North Korean soldiers supporting Russia, producing leaflets and videos encouraging them to surrender and avoid pointless sacrifices.
According to reports from European news outlets, the “I Want To Live” project in Ukraine aims to persuade North Korean soldiers backing Russia to surrender, with approximately 350 Russian soldiers having surrendered through this project.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine established the “I Want To Live” project, initially targeting Russian soldiers who did not wish to participate in the war.
Since the creation of “I Want To Live,” Ukraine has distributed leaflets on the front lines showing enemy troops how to surrender, resulting in 350 Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukraine through the project.
Now, Ukraine has also started targeting North Korean soldiers for surrender. New leaflets in Korean with illustrations have been created to guide North Korean soldiers on how to surrender on the front lines, including instructions to lie face down on the ground, hold white paper or leaflets, and drop weapons.
Vitaliy Matvienko, a volunteer for “I Want To Live,” told European news outlets, “Not everyone wants to fight. We understand the living conditions in North Korea very well. Therefore, many may see this as an opportunity to escape the regime and go to another country.”
In a previous report by Dajiyuan, besides the Ukrainian military intelligence department, a South Korean man who joined the Ukrainian volunteer forces against Russia also urged North Korean soldiers supporting Russia to surrender. He called on these “brothers” of the same ethnicity to start a new life in democratic countries and not become cannon fodder in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Currently, it is believed that tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers are deployed in the Kursk region of Russia. The Ukrainian General Staff stated that these North Korean soldiers have already engaged in combat against Ukrainian forces.
According to a report from the Ukrainian news agency RBC Ukraine on December 15, Ukrainian military intelligence indicated that Russia has begun deploying North Korean soldiers to the front lines for combat, and casualties have already been reported.
Intelligence indicates that Russia has started using North Korean soldiers in Kursk for assault operations, particularly as part of the Russian Navy’s Marine Corps and airborne troops joint forces.
The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate stated that North Korean forces suffered their first losses under successful attacks by Ukrainian forces. In one position in the Kursk region, the North Korean forces were attacked by drones, resulting in over 100 casualties, including Russian forces.
The Directorate concluded, “As of December 14, 2024, forces composed of Russian and North Korean soldiers have estimated losses of about 200 soldiers.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video on social media stating, “Today, there is preliminary evidence that Russia has begun using North Korean soldiers for attacks, and their numbers are significant. Russians have incorporated them into their joint forces and used them in operations in the Kursk region.”
He added that Ukrainian forces have only encountered North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region so far. Nevertheless, there are indications that Russia may be using them on other fronts.
(Click here to watch related videos)