CHECK – North Korean soldiers in Russia: what we know about the images that prove their presence

The deployment of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian soldiers is undoubtedly a turning point in the war in Ukraine. And brings with it its share of speculation and false information. In search of the first image that would show these troops coming from Pyongyang, Internet users are a little too hastily sharing videos that would prove the presence of these soldiers. We have sifted through them.

A Chinese volunteer and Japanese amateurs

Starting with this video (new window) published on November 2. Facing the camera, a young man appears in military fatigues while eating. On his left arm, the letter Z, which has become a symbol of support for the Russian army, and on his cap, the Russian flag. He does not wear a patch specifying his identity. Regardless, the channels that shared the images first ensure that it is a North Korean soldier deployed in Russia.

Except that according to the audio transcription produced by the Gladia tool (new window)the soldier speaks in Chinese. Information confirmed to us by David Serfass, lecturer at Inalco, specializing in Chinese studies, according to whom the man “speaks Mandarin without accent”.

The person concerned also appears in another video (new window) allegedly toured in Russia, from October 16. That is, several days before the first North Korean troops were sent. In it, he complains about his fate, explaining that he is forced to walk several kilometers to get to the supply point while other Russian soldiers travel in vehicles, or that he is forced to cut wood instead of training for combat.

Presumably, the young man is therefore a foreign soldier voluntarily enlisted in the Russian army. However, we were unable to confirm his identity or whether he was indeed present on the front.

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Other photos, which appeared a week later, reveal fighters with their passports. “Photo taken by Russian shows North Korean soldier holding his passport and Korean Workers’ Party membership certificate”writes the author of the publication this November 10 (new window). A false statement. In reality, these people dressed up as part of a festival that was being held that day in Saitama, Japan.

Other photos published (new window) on social networks reveal these military scenes. The very author of the original publication confirms (new window) in other messages having participated in this airsoft event, a hobby which consists of using replica weapons to engage in military simulations. And recognizes in a message that it is a “fake”.

A third and final video sows doubt. Viewed more than four million times, it illustrates the first strike by the Ukrainian army on a North Korean soldier. To find out more, we went back to the origin of the sequence. It was originally published this Sunday morning (new window) on the official Telegram account of “Peaky Blinders”. A unit of the Ukrainian army specializing in drone attacks, whose motto has become “find and destroy”.

However, in its publication, this unit is much more cautious. It indicates that there is “a high probability that it is a Korean”. But this strike having taken place at “five kilometers” from the front, behind Russian lines, any confirmation on the identity of the soldier is “impossible”, recognize the perpetrators of the shooting.

So what can we deduce from the few visual clues? If the equipment is indeed Soviet (new window)according to the analysis of a military source, nothing on the fatigues allows us to give any indication of the origin of the soldier. And in fact, according to the Ukrainian Defense Minister, the men from Pyongyang “are mixed with Russian troops and their uniforms are misidentified” precisely in order to make this confirmation work laborious.

However, the equipment, backpack and boots are brand new, possibly indicating a very recent arrival in the ranks. Finally, according to details from the Ukrainian unit, the strike took place near Selydove, in the direction of Pokrovsk. More than 400 km from Kursk, where North Korean troops are positioned, according to information confirmed by NATO last Friday. (new window). If it is therefore plausible that this soldier is North Korean, the strike having taken place on the Russian side of the border, there is no evidence to confirm this.

Do you want to ask us questions or submit information that you do not believe is reliable? Do not hesitate to write to us at [email protected]. Also find us on Twitter: our team is present there behind the account @verif_TF1LCI.