US reveals: North Korean soldiers taking their own lives to avoid capture in Ukraine

Some North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine have reportedly taken their own lives rather than surrender to Ukrainian forces, according to John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

Kirby explained, as per a report in NBC News, that these suicides were “likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they’re captured.”

John Kirby highlighted the dire situation, revealing that 1,000 North Korean troops had been killed or injured in the last week alone. He accused Russian and North Korean military leaders of treating these soldiers as expendable, ordering them into "massed, dismounted assaults" with little regard for their survival.

“It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses,” Kirby said.

North Korean troops suffer heavy losses in Russia-Ukraine war

North Korean forces fighting alongside Russia in its war against Ukraine have faced staggering casualties, with over 3,000 soldiers killed or wounded in the Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday (December 23), citing preliminary data.

In his video address, Zelenskyy described the losses sustained by North Korean troops as "very significant" and condemned their deployment in a European conflict. He criticized both Russian and North Korean commanders for failing to ensure the survival of these troops, adding that some soldiers were executed by their own forces to prevent capture.

"Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection," Zelenskiy said. He revealed that Ukrainian forces had managed to take a few North Korean soldiers prisoner, but they were severely wounded and could not be saved.

Calling for international action, Zelenskyy urged China to pressure North Korea to cease its involvement in the war. "Koreans should not be losing their lives in a war in Europe," he said, emphasizing the need for diplomatic intervention to prevent further escalation.

North Korea’s involvement in the conflict marks a deepening of its military alignment with Russia, raising concerns about the human cost and the geopolitical implications of their partnership.