SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
We're learning more about the roughly 10,000 North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine. U.S. and Ukrainian officials say there's growing evidence that North Koreans are being sent to die in attacks that have little chance of success. NPR's Brian Mann joins us from Kyiv. Brian, thanks for being with us.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott.
SIMON: Why are North Korean soldiers alongside Russians in the first place?
MANN: Yeah, it seems surprising on the face of it, doesn't it? Russian soldiers already outnumber Ukraine's army, which is much smaller. But military analysts I've been talking to point out you need a lot more soldiers when you're on the offense as Russia is now. They're trying to gain ground. I spoke about this with George Barros at the Institute for the Study of War. They track fighting in eastern Ukraine. He says, Scott, Russia is now burning through roughly 30,000 troops every month that's killed and wounded. So Moscow needs reinforcements.
GEORGE BARROS: The Russians are struggling to offset that 30,000 casualties per month figure. They basically have a system that's allowed them to be able to withstand and sustain that for the last two and a half years, but it's not working anymore. The North Koreans provided 10 days' worth of casualties with that initial 10K investment.
MANN: Now, what's interesting is Barros believes that as many as 3,000 of those North Korean soldiers have already been killed or wounded. I should say that's a high estimate. U.S. officials put the number of North Korean casualties around a thousand.
SIMON: And what do these assaults by North Korean troops look like?
MANN: Well, the description's pretty horrific. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby spoke about this yesterday, describing what are basically suicide missions. North Koreans are sent on foot over open ground without necessary support or equipment to attack heavily fortified Ukrainian positions.
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JOHN KIRBY: These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile. We also have reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives.
MANN: Now, Kirby does acknowledge these attacks are putting a strain on the Ukrainians, who also face a very serious manpower shortage. And Russia has been gaining ground in Kursk and other areas along the eastern front, but that progress is slow. And Russia and now North Korea - they're paying a huge price in manpower.
SIMON: Brian, what can you tell us about those reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives?
MANN: Yeah, this is pretty grim. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also spoke about this yesterday.
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PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: (Speaking Ukrainian).
MANN: "The North Koreans do everything so it's impossible for us to capture them alive," Zelenskyy said, "their own soldiers kill them off." NPR, I should say, hasn't been able to independently verify this, but the theory shared by Ukrainian officials and the White House is North Korean soldiers fear for their families. They think they'll face reprisal and punishment back home if they're taken prisoner, so they choose to take their own lives.
SIMON: You did say Russia is gaining ground. What does it look like for Ukraine?
MANN: Yeah, it's been a really grinding, brutal winter for Ukraine, Scott. Military analysts say Russia's offensive is poorly planned and executed, as we've been discussing. But the sheer weight of soldiers and artillery are pushing Ukraine back. In a national address this week, Zelenskyy talked about a desperate need to stabilize Ukraine's defenses. One big question here in Kyiv is whether the U.S. will actually deliver most of the $61 billion in additional military and economic aid for Ukraine that was allocated by Congress last spring. They're hoping it'll come before President Biden leaves office. People here fear that once President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in next month, much of that aid could be frozen.
SIMON: Brian Mann in Kyiv. Thanks so much.
MANN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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