Russia has been issuing falsified identification documents to North Korean soldiers deployed in the war against Ukraine, according to a report from Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on December 22.
The Ukrainian military reportedly recovered the documents of three North Korean soldiers killed in the Kursk region.
The IDs, meant to pass as legitimate Russian military documents, were missing essential features such as photographs and official stamps.
Additionally, the patronymic names of the deceased were stylized in a distinctly Russian manner, while the place of birth was listed as the Republic of Tuva, the native region of former Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
Despite these efforts, the original Korean names—Ban Guk Jin, Lee Dae Hyuk, and Cho Chul Ho—were uncovered. The IDs also featured signatures in Korean, further exposing their true origins.
“This incident illustrates the extent to which Russia will go to hide its battlefield losses and obscure the participation of foreign personnel,” Ukraine's Special Operations Forces stated on their Telegram channel.
Deployment of North Korean Soldiers
This revelation comes shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on December 14 that North Korean soldiers had been deployed to attack Ukrainian positions in Russia's Kursk region.
Reports suggest that this is the first confirmed involvement of North Korean troops in Russia's military operations.
Reuters, citing South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, reported on December 19 that at least 100 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia had been killed, with approximately 1,000 more wounded during clashes in the same region.
