North Korean combat tactics exposed: what's been learned in Ukraine

Valuable insight

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

In the fall of 2024, North Korean military forces commenced operations in Kursk, marking their first engagement in modern warfare. This development highlights the combat skills and strategic tactics employed by Kim Jong Un's regime.

Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, recently spoke with Newsweek about the North Korean soldiers sent to fight in Kursk and revealed how ineffective these troops are in some areas. 

No understanding of drone warfare

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

According to Colonel Kindratenko, North Korean soldiers fighting for Moscow have little understanding of drone warfare but he noted that they move quickly and erratically as a way to avoid being targeted by Ukrainian drone operators. 

Attacking along the same lines of assault

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Colonel Kindratenko also pointed out that North Korean soldiers attack along the "same routes where dozens of their troops have already been killed in action.” However, North Korean forces are more mobile than their Russian counterparts. 

North Koreans toss their Russian gear

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Some soldiers preferred to get rid of the equipment given to them by Russia in order to move more freely. "In some instances, they operate without helmets or ballistic plates to increase speed during assaults on Ukrainian positions," Colonel Kindratenko said. 

Some carried more ammunition than food

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Ukrainian forces have captured North Korean equipment and found little food or water and no cold weather equipment. According to Colonel Kindratenko, ammunition is what Ukrainian soldiers find filling up North Korean military backpacks.   

North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

The North Korean forces fighting in Kursk allegedly have three numbers of the ammunition that their Russian counterparts carry into battle. They are also supplied with grenades and mines. However, it is unclear if they are given these weapons in larger quantities. 

North Koreans are often better-armed

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Colonel Kindratenko said that captured bodies of killed North Korean soldiers revealed that they are "often better armed" than Russian troops. He added that combat footage has shown they also carry a "significant number of anti-tank grenade launchers."

Modernized Russian-designed weapons

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Another interesting point made by Colonel Kindratenko about modern North Korean troops is that they nearly all carry “modernized variants” of standard-issued Russian arms like the AK-12 as opposed to the decades-old AK-74. 

Effective frontline forces?

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

How effective all of these battlefield advantages have made North Korean troops is hard to say, but other Ukrainian commanders have revealed that the fighters Pyongyang sent to Kursk can be powerful opponents to face off against. 

Highly motivated and well-trained

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Ukraine’s top general, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has previously called the North Korean forces in Kursk "highly motivated” and “well-trained” according to a report from Business Insider. His assessment was in line with one from the Pentagon. 

“Primarily infantry-focused”

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

"These are relatively well-disciplined, competent forces," explained the former Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder during a January 13th briefing. Ryder added that the North Korean troops were “primarily infantry-focused” and “capable.”

Some were used as cannon fodder

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

According to Ukrainian Commander Konoval Ihor Ihorovych, commander of the reserve group of the 4th Company of the 33rd Assault Regiment, the North Korean soldiers he faced in battle were “cannon fodder.”

Charging just like attacks in WWII

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

"In combat, they would just charge forward from the tree line, like in a World War II movie," Ihorovych explained according to Business Insider. It was an assessment that the US news outlet noted fell in line with a similar assessment from the Biden administration. 

Fanatical soldiers

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

Other Ukrainian commanders have commented on the fanatical nature of North Korean troops in battle. For example, one commander who goes by the callsign Puls spoke with Sky News about his experiences and said they were willing to take their lives instead of allowing themselves to be captured.

"For General Kim Jong Un"

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

According to Puls, North Korean soldiers have refused to be taken alive and he claimed that some troops had been heard saying:"For General Kim Jong Un" before taking their own lives. Whether or not this behavior is widespread is difficult to be confirmed. 

Formidable opponents

Valuable insight, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, No understanding of drone warfare, Attacking along the same lines of assault, North Koreans toss their Russian gear, Some carried more ammunition than food, North Koreans carry more ammo than Russian troops, North Koreans are often better-armed, Modernized Russian-designed weapons, Effective frontline forces?, Highly motivated and well-trained, “Primarily infantry-focused”, Some were used as cannon fodder, Charging just like attacks in WWII, Fanatical soldiers, "For General Kim Jong Un", Formidable opponents

While we may not be able to confirm how effective North Korean forces are in Kursk, it is clear they can be a formidable opponent. However, if recent news is to be believed, the North Korean troops sent to fight for Russia have been pulled off the frontline. 

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