“One-third wounded or killed”: NATO admiral assesses effectiveness of DPRK troops

“One third are wounded or killed”: NATO admiral assessed the effectiveness of the DPRK troops Yaroslav Pogonchuk

NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer called the involvement of North Korean troops in Russia's war against Ukraine a “strategic mistake.” According to him, the DPRK army is demonstrating low efficiency and is suffering significant losses.

Reports 24 Kanal with reference to Chosun. Bauer noted that a third of the DPRK troops were wounded or killed.

How NATO admiral assessed the cooperation between the DPRK and Russia

At a press conference after a meeting of defense ministers of the Alliance member countries in Brussels, a top NATO official said that “coordination between Russian and North Korean troops is virtually impossible.”

According to him, of the approximately 11,000 DPRK troops sent to Russia's Kursk region, about a third were wounded or killed.

Bauer also noted that Russia is using North Korean soldiers ineffectively, which is due to the language barrier, lack of coordination and their placement in disadvantageous positions.

North Korea openly provides weapons to Russia, and Russia also provides weapons to North Korea. This creates a problem not only for South Korea, but also for the United States, which has troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula, Bauer said.

How China is helping Russia

NATO admiral expressed surprise that the “most isolated in the world” DPRK suddenly became a participant in the war in Europe. He called the situation a “massive change.”

This means that the Indo-Pacific region is now suddenly connected to the European theater in a way that no one thought would have huge implications, the admiral noted.

He also blamed both Moscow and Beijing for bringing the North Korean military into Russia's war against Ukraine.

“Especially given that it is not only Russia, which needs ammunition and missiles, but also China that has made this fundamentally possible,” the NATO representative emphasized.

He also noted that while China does not directly supply weapons to Russia, it actively supports its military-industrial complex complex.

In this context, the admiral stressed the need for NATO to give a “united strong response.”

We have made it clear to China that it cannot choose both strategies at the same time, Bauer noted.

The admiral explained that Beijing cannot simultaneously declare its support for the UN Charter and try to maintain good relations with the West, and at the same time “help to fuel a war in Europe.”