Extraordinary video has emerged showing a North Korean soldier fighting for Vladimir Putin's forces in Ukraine being violently thrown from a sledge after hitting a landmine. The shocking incident, captured on film, offers a grim glimpse into the secretive deployment of thousands of DPRK troops to the front lines.
The Sledge Ride That Ended in a Blast
In the remarkable footage, a soldier dressed in camouflage and with a gun slung over his shoulder is seen enjoying a sledging ride down a snowy hill. A Russian voice can be heard off-camera remarking, 'The [North] Koreans are putting on a show… ****ing brilliant!'
However, the scene turns to horror as the sledge speeds directly into a landmine. The soldier is catapulted into the air by the intense blast and lands heavily on his back. An onlooking Russian soldier is heard exclaiming, 'Oh ****!…' It remains unclear whether the North Korean soldier survived the explosion.
The Secretive Deployment of North Korean Forces
This incident is linked to a major, yet long-denied, military collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang. Under a mutual defence pact, North Korea sent approximately 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in the Kursk border region last year.
According to intelligence from South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western sources, the deployment has come at a staggering human cost, with more than 6,000 of these North Korean troops reported killed.
Pyongyang only officially confirmed it had deployed soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war in April of this year. State media claimed its soldiers had assisted Russian forces in 'completely liberating' the Kursk region.
Arms and Troops: Deepening Russia-DPRK Ties
The troop deployment is just one facet of a deepening military partnership. North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells in an attempt to tip the balance of the conflict. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has also provided ballistic missiles, 120 long-range artillery systems, and 120 multiple-launch rocket systems to Moscow.
The return of some troops is now being celebrated in North Korea. On December 13, state-run television KRT reported that Kim Jong Un attended a welcoming ceremony for an army engineering unit that had returned home after duties in Russia.
In a speech carried by the official KCNA news agency, Kim praised the officers and soldiers of the 528th Regiment of Engineers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) for their 'heroic' conduct during a 120-day overseas deployment that began in early August. Released footage showed Kim hugging a soldier in a wheelchair and troops being welcomed back.
KCNA stated the unit had carried out combat and engineering tasks in Russia's Kursk region. Last month, Russia's own Defence Ministry acknowledged that North Korean troops helped repel a major Ukrainian incursion into Kursk and are now playing a key role in clearing the area of mines.
