Introduction
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just posted a video that he claimed shows a Russian soldier who tried to burn the body of a North Korean soldier that he said was killed in combat while fighting with Russian forces inside Ukraine. The December 17 post underscores growing unease about Russia's increasing military cooperation with North Korea, which Zelenskyy says Moscow is trying to cover up.
The Video and Its Content
On Zelenskyy's official social networks, the 30-second clip contains footage of a half-burnt body, with the subtitle reading, "Russians try to hide the face of the North Korean fighter even after he is dead". Another part of the recording features another suspected North Korean fighter. Yet another scene comes with the person with Asia-specific facial features speaking directly into the camera, "No, no," while an order to him is received by somebody else, as, "Tell him to put on a mask. Put the mask on."
This graphic imagery and the subtitles emphasize Zelenskyy's statement that Russia is now attempting to cover up the presence of North Korean troops in this ongoing war, even as their bodies lie dead on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy's Accusations
In the post, Zelenskyy criticized Russia for sending North Korean soldiers to the battlefield as well as trying to erase the traces of their losses by burning the bodies of fallen soldiers. He said, "Russia not only sends the North Korean troops to storm Ukrainian positions but also tries to conceal losses of these people." Zelenskyy demanded accountability, branding the actions a "demonstration of disrespect."
Coinciding with the release of that video is the increased wariness over the strengthening militaries' cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. There is widespread concern that North Korean personnel are being used as some kind of "cannon fodder" in this fight - witness the reported heavy losses amid North Korean troops that joined units put to guard Russian positions.
Casualty Estimates and U.S. Acknowledgment
Recent defense intelligence estimates from Ukraine indicate the loss to death of nearly 200 Russian and North Korean soldiers, all in joint units that have been combatting the Ukrainian forces. However, the number of casualties was not specified in detail.
Related to this, the U.S. government has confirmed that North Korea has lost considerable troops in the war. This is the first time the United States has publicly acknowledged North Korean casualties during the war, further emphasizing the cost of this controversial alliance between Russia and North Korea.
Conclusion
The video posted by Zelenskyy brings the grim facts and intricacies surrounding the politics behind this war to the fore. Notwithstanding the North Korean army reported to be used by Russia in its operations, all parties engaged in this war are left to incur even the highest damage, which worries the entire world that it may result in further concealment by Russia as far as its military campaigns' magnitude is concerned.
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