Russia Falsifies Documents to Conceal North Korean Soldiers on the Battlefield

Russia is attempting to conceal the presence of North Korean soldiers on the battlefield by providing them with falsified documents. This was reported by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on December 22.

The Special Operations Forces attained the documents of three North Korean soldiers, killed in action in the Kursk region. These military IDs lack the required stamps and photographs, and the patronymic names are stylized in the Russian manner. The place of birth is listed as the Republic of Tuva—the homeland of Shoigu, Russia’s Minister of Defense from 2012 to 2024.

According to decrypted data, the real names of the deceased North Koreans are Ban Guk Jin, Lee Dae Hyuk, and Cho Chul Ho. However, in Russian documents, they are listed as Kim Kang Solat Albertovich, Dongnk Jang Suroppovich, and Belek Aganak Kap-Oolovich.

Additionally, the signatures of the ID holders are written in Korean, which further indicates the true origins of these soldiers.

“This incident further underscores how Russia employs every possible tactic to conceal its battlefield losses and obscure the presence of foreign personnel,” said the Special Operations Forces post on their official Telegram channel.

On December 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia had deployed North Korean soldiers for the first time to attack Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk region.

Reuters reported on December 19, citing South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, that at least 100 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have been killed, and approximately 1,000 others have been wounded during clashes with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.