Ukrainians, on the other hand, show respect "Some Russians think North Koreans are subhuman"

Language and adaptation problems are apparently causing friction between Russians and North Koreans. Moscow's soldiers allegedly don't have a high opinion of their Asian comrades - but the Ukrainians do.

The North Korean soldiers are actually supposed to help the Russian army, but cooperation in the field is apparently more complicated than expected. "Reports from the front show that some Russian soldiers basically consider their North Korean colleagues to be sub-human," a source told the online portal "Daily NK".

This is fueled by the deteriorating condition of the men Pyongyang has deployed: "Since late December, the authorities [in North Korea] have been alarmed by reports that soldiers in the field are showing signs of extreme fear of death, cultural adjustment difficulties and signs of ideological instability."

This contrasts with the time when the Asians had just arrived on the European battlefield: They had mentally degraded greatly, the Daily NK source knows: "As casualties mount, soldiers in the field struggle with psychological stress and problems adapting."

The insecure Asians would then encounter self-confident members of the Russian army who seem to think little of the support. "The authorities believe this is due to the visibly defeated attitude of the North Koreans and their inability to overcome the rifts in communication."

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"They have everything a good infantryman needs"

To keep up morale, Pyongyang reportedly wants to send more high-ranking officers to keep the troops in line. It is remarkable that the Ukrainians paint a completely different picture of the Asians than some Russians do: According to them, the North Koreans are well-trained, fearless and motivated.

"When they saw that their capture was imminent, they blew themselves up," explains Lieutenant Colonel Jaroslaw Chepurnji to Politico."They are young, motivated, physically fit, brave and good with small arms. They are also disciplined. They have everything a good infantryman needs."

Yuri Bondar from the 80th Air Assault Brigade echoes this sentiment. "The enemy won't surrender," the Ukrainian writes on Facebook. "They eliminate themselves according to the same pattern: a grenade to the head and off they go. Those who remain on the battlefield are doused with flammable liquid and burned."

Wagner mercenaries compared to "children"

The North Koreans should not be underestimated, says Bondar. "One commander said that compared to the soldiers from North Korea, the Wagner mercenaries in 2022 were just children. And I believe him." Incidentally, one of the only two North Koreans captured so far wants to stay in Ukraine, while the other wants to return home.

South Korea's secret service estimates that around 300 North Koreans have been killed and 2,700 injured in Ukraine so far. However, some are said to have lost their lives in a battle with Russians in Kursk when there was a case of friendly fire due to language problems, as reported by Reporting from Ukraine.

As a rule, however, the Asians are targeting the Ukrainian opponent: "The situation has deteriorated significantly since the North Koreans arrived," says a non-commissioned officer in the New York Times."They are putting pressure on our front with mass, finding weak points and breaking through them." A sergeant adds: "We hold, destroy, destroy and destroy - so much so that it's hard to understand."