Additional Coverage:
- Ukrainians said North Koreans are so determined to avoid capture that one tried to take himself out with a concrete pillar (newsbreak.com)
Kursk, Ukraine – Local paratroopers say they captured a North Korean soldier who tried a dramatic escape attempt. The soldier, found alone with a grenade, knife, and some food, reportedly ran headfirst into a concrete pillar.
The 95th Separate Air Assault Polissia Brigade described the unusual capture. A drone spotted the lone soldier after a recent assault. Troops surrounded him, but he didn’t respond to commands in Ukrainian, Russian, or English.
The North Korean soldier, who had a bandaged jaw and an injured hand, initially seemed calm. However, when a vehicle arrived to transport him, he suddenly charged into a concrete pillar, apparently knocking himself unconscious.
One paratrooper speculated the move might have been a ruse to get close enough to attack. Regardless, the soldier was taken from the front lines. He was later given food and, at his request, shown romance films.
An older paratrooper noted the North Koreans’ tactics resembled Russia’s Soviet-era style, relying on overwhelming numbers. He added that while Russians in the area attack in small groups, the North Koreans attack in groups of six or more.
The captured soldier resembles one of two North Korean soldiers previously announced as captured by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The paratroopers also said wounded North Koreans have been known to detonate explosives on themselves to avoid capture, highlighting their unwillingness to surrender.