How Communication Issues Are Making North Korean and Russian Troops’ Cooperation a Nightmare

Reports from both Ukrainian and Russian sources indicate that North Korean troops are now actively engaged in combat on the Ukrainian battlefield.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (DIU) stated on its official website that mixed units of North Korean and Russian airborne troops and marines have suffered fatal and irrecoverable losses due to Ukrainian attacks. The DIU estimated that the number of casualties in these units, consisting of both Russian and North Korean soldiers, currently stands at approximately 200. However, it did not specify the exact proportion of North Korean soldiers, likely because details regarding the composition of the mixed units remain unclear.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia has begun deploying many North Korean troops in the Kursk region, though he didn’t provide specific figures. The U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) cited the DIU’s claim of 200 casualties in its report, analyzing that this aligns with recent reports of North Korean troops participating in infantry attrition warfare.

The claim that North Korean troops are collaborating with Russian forces has also been raised from the Russian side. Russian military bloggers posted on Friday that North Korean troops had achieved considerable success on some fronts. According to them, North Korean forces quickly recaptured a village in the Kursk region, breaking through a 2-kilometer minefield within two hours and killing approximately 300 Ukrainian troops. The bloggers noted that some North Korean casualties occurred in the process.

The Kursk region has been a challenging area for Russian forces to reclaim after temporary Ukrainian occupation. Intelligence suggests that approximately 11,000 North Korean troops are currently deployed in this sector.

As Russia increases its deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines, concerns are growing about potential casualties. The DIU reported that Ukrainian forces effectively targeted North Korean troops using drones along the Kursk front. Ukraine’s 414th Attack Drone Regiment shared footage on Telegram purportedly showing deceased North Korean and Russian soldiers, though the low image quality makes definitive identification difficult.

The DIU also claimed that North Korean troops mistakenly caused Russian casualties. It reported that North Korean forces mistakenly fired upon a vehicle belonging to Russia’s Akhmat special forces unit, resulting in the deaths of eight soldiers. The Akhmat unit, led by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, is notorious for its brutal combat tactics. The DIU attributed the friendly fire incident to language barriers, explaining that language barriers remain a significant issue for North Korean troops conducting operations on the front lines.

The ISW corroborated these findings in its report, stating that North Korean troops have suffered heavy casualties in the Kursk region and are struggling due to communication issues with Russian forces. The report highlighted that these communication difficulties not only hamper cooperation between North Korean and Russian troops but also negatively affect Russian military operations. The ISW further analyzed that the lack of integration and ongoing communication problems between Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk will likely cause internal friction within Russia’s military operations in the short term.