An elite Ukrainian soldier has revealed how North Korean troops are blowing themselves up with grenades to avoid being captured alive. One shouted ‘General Kim Jong-un’ before taking his own life as Kyiv’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) closed in, according to the commander. Puls, who spoke under a codename, and his comrades in the 1st Combat Divers Battalion have been fighting troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the ‘brainwashed’ soldiers were flown more than 4,000 miles to shore up Vladimir Putin’s forces in Kursk.

He said the reinforcements have been using cannon-fodder tactics ‘from the history books’ but also described them as disciplined and motivated. Kim Jong-un’s troops have been killed ‘within the first few minutes’ as they advance in ‘large waves’ on Ukrainian positions, according to Puls. Video taken by the operators shows them taking DNA swabs and personal artefacts, including ID documents, from the bodies of DPRK soldiers.

However Puls, whose battalion is part of the 73rd Naval Centre of Operations, which is similar to the British Royal Marines or US Navy Seals, acknowledged the North Koreans’ self-discipline and resilience. ‘The first thing that immediately stands out is their discipline and endurance,’ he said. ‘North Korean troops are highly disciplined and strongly motivated and they are all young — or at least they look that way.

‘They appear to be between 25 and 40 years old. ‘All of them are clean-shaven. Not a single one has a beard or even stubble. ‘Their haircuts are nearly identical and they are very well-groomed overall. ‘I understand that in such a closed-off country, they have been thoroughly brainwashed. This affects their behaviour. They refuse to surrender and instead choose to blow themselves up with a grenade.’.

Kim has sent between 11,000 and 12,000 of his troops to Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have been in control of a salient since launching an audacious incursion into Russia five months ago. Roughly half of the number have been killed or wounded, according to Ukraine’s Command-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. At present, the North Koreans are absent from the battlefield in the areas where the SOF are fighting, which may indicate they are rotating forces due to the high casualties they have suffered.

Evidence has emerged of attempts to conceal the identity of the DPKR troops, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that Russians have tried to burn the faces of their allies killed in battle. The wartime leader’s armed forces have also said that fake documents have been issued to the reinforcements. While Mr Zelenskyy did not say why the actions are being taken, reasons might include Russia wanting to hide its reliance on a foreign state and North Korea trying to avoid violations of UN Security Council sanctions.

Puls is no doubt as to the identity of their foes. ‘One of their soldiers, as an SOF team approached him, initially lay still in silence,’ he said. ‘Then, suddenly, he shouted “General Kim Jong-Un” and blew himself up with a grenade.’. The reinforcements have also shown blind loyalty in advancing on foot over exposed ground in ‘meat wave’ attacks and are said to have come up with tactics using soldiers as ‘live bait’ to lure in Ukrainian drones which can then be shot down from cover.

But at least some of the North Korean troops sent to fight in Kursk are thought to be elite soldiers. ‘North Korean troops are physically resilient,’ Puls said. ‘We have observed them carry heavy loads over long distances. ‘They are highly motivated to fight and well-coordinated. They move in pairs, a tactic typical for the special forces. ‘Nonetheless, their combat losses are likely higher than those of Russian troops. They are unprepared for modern warfare.

‘DPRK troops’ greatest weakness is that they have never faced first-person view drones, an essential part of combat. ‘But over time, they are adapting. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. ‘A month and a half ago, they looked at FPV drones with curiosity. ‘Now, they try to hide because they have seen what those can do.

‘They even have instructions on how to respond to drone attacks but they are outdated and do not help them.’. Russia has used North Korean forces for holding positions and assaults, resulting in high casualties, according to Puls. ‘Artillery with our drone strikes significantly increases their casualties,’ he said. ‘It is extremely high. ‘When North Koreans launch assaults on Ukrainian positions, most of them are killed in action within the first few minutes.