\n<\/p>\n
White House National Security communications adviser John Kirby said Russia was treating North Korean troops as \u201cexpendable\u201d by sending them on impractical ground operations in its war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses,\u201d Kirby said during a Friday press gaggle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He noted mass casualties and failed missions for North Korean soldiers, which has resulted in suicide on the battlefield.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also have reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they\u2019re captured,\u201d Kirby stated.<\/p>\n
His comments come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the capture of troops taken as prisoners of war, who died shortly after being seized.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we received reports on several soldiers from North Korea, our warriors managed to capture them. But they were seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated,\u201d Zelensky said in a Friday address<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the manifestations of the madness dictatorships are capable of,\u201d he stated. \u201cThe Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n He urged China to exert pressure on Kim Jong Un and leaders in Pyongyang, North Korea\u2019s capital to, back off of war efforts.<\/p>\n Kirby cited widespread injuries among North Korean soldiers in the Friday press gaggle.<\/p>\n \u201cOur estimate is that, to date, they have suffered more than 1,000 killed or wounded in this particular fighting in just the past week of them fighting on the front lines,\u201d Kirby said.<\/p>\n Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/i><\/p>\n For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n