Ukrainian forces discovered and seized military equipment, documents, and a Samsung 2G mobile phone from the belongings of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting for Russia, according to a report by NK News on Jan. 29.
The North Korea-focused news outlet said Ukraine’s special operations forces killed two North Korean troops during combat in Kursk, western Russia. In the process, they seized communication devices and various documents, including what appeared to be Russian operational plans.
Photographs provided by Ukraine’s special forces showed the soldiers’ belongings, including military gear. According to NK News, the North Korean troops were carrying an AK-12 assault rifle equipped with a 1PN139-1 thermal scope, a 1P87 optical sight, and a DL-5 rangefinder. The outlet noted that the soldiers appeared to be well-equipped.
Other recovered items included identification documents, written materials, and a mobile phone. The black 2G phone, which had the Samsung logo in English, stood out among the items. A document prepared for battlefield use featured Korean phrases such as “Seot” (a misspelling of “Seo,” meaning “stop”), “Sondeu-reot” (“hands up”), “Surrender and you will live,” “Take off your belt,” and “Where do you launch drones?” alongside their Ukrainian translations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has estimated that Russia has deployed about 12,000 North Korean soldiers to the front lines. As of mid-January, around 4,000 had been killed or wounded, including roughly 1,000 fatalities.
According to Ukrainian news outlet Evocation Info, four North Korean brigades—designated the 91st through 94th—have been deployed across northern and eastern Kursk.
The North Korean troops, reportedly part of the elite “Storm Corps,” have been thrown into combat without adequate modern warfare training or sufficient support from Russian firepower and equipment, the report added.