What's New
A note that Ukrainian forces claim to have taken off a North Korean soldier killed in Russia details tactics allegedly being used to down drones after luring them with human bait.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry and North Korean embassy in China via email with requests for comment.
Why It Matters
South Korea has said over 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to the Russian border region of Kursk, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise counteroffensive in August that placed Russian troops on the backfoot.
The move underscores deepening defense ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. The U.S. and Ukraine consider the North Korean troop deployments a significant escalation in the conflict, now in its 34th month. Analysts previously told Newsweek that the North Korean deployments serve as little more than "cannon fodder." Both Russia and North Korea have denied they have joined forces against Ukraine.
What To Know
The note, reportedly featuring a stick-figure illustration of the strategy, explains how to defeat Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"It is currently unknown whether these are authentic North Korean tactics or whether they were taught this way by the Russians. But this tactic uses live bait," the Ukrainian military's Special Operations Forces (SOF) announced on social media Thursday.
The strategy involves three people: the "bait" maintains a distance of 7 meters (23 feet) from the drone, while two shooters position themselves 10 to 12 meters (33 to 39 feet) away. When the bait remains stationary, the drone is expected to stop moving, creating a clear target for the shooters.
The SOF noted it was unclear whether the strategy was a North Korean innovation or taught to them by the Russian military.
The note's author, identified as Private Gyong Hong Jong, also included instructions for avoiding artillery fire.
This involves breaking into smaller units to minimize casualties and designating a rally point in advance where the group can regroup after scattering. Gyong suggested using impact craters for cover, as artillery rarely strikes the same location repeatedly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that more than 3,000 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in Kursk. That followed a South Korean estimate last week of at least 1,100 North Korean casualties. Newsweek has yet to verify these figures.
What People Are Saying
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said: "The SOF of Ukraine continues to destroy North Korean special forces in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X (formerly Twitter) last week: "There is not a single reason for North Koreans to fight and die for Putin. And even after they do, Russia has only humiliation for them.
"This madness must be stopped—stopped by a reliable and durable peace, as well as Russia's accountability for this cynical war."
What's Next
U.S. officials have raised concerns that Russia is providing North Korea's Kim Jong Un regime with advanced weaponry and technical expertise that could bolster its United Nations-sanctioned nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, recently cited intelligence saying North Korea is set to receive aging Russian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff predicted that Pyongyang plans to ship additional forces to aid its Russian ally.
Ukrainian forces are waging a campaign of psychological warfare against North Korean troops in a bid to encourage them to surrender.
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