Day: December 26, 2024

South Korean intelligence has confirmed reports of a wounded North Korean soldier being captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region. The news of the capture surfaced on Ukrainian media outlets the previous evening, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The largest South Korean news agency stated on Friday, December 27, that the wounded North Korean soldier had been captured alive.

“Through real-time information sharing with a friendly nation’s intelligence organization, (we) confirmed the capture of a wounded North Korean soldier and plans to thoroughly examine the subsequent development,” the National Intelligence Service said in a brief release, as quoted by Yonhap.

Information about the capture of the first DPRK soldier

On the evening of December 26, reports began circulating online, accompanied by a photograph, suggesting that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces had likely captured the first North Korean soldier sent to fight alongside Russian forces.

This was reported, among others, by the Telegram channel the_warshal18 and the Militarnyi. The relevant photos were also shared.

According to the Telegram channel’s posts, this North Korean soldier appeared to have been wounded. However, no detailed information about his condition was provided.

In the Kursk region, the Special Operations Forces captured a DPRK soldier and seized other trophies (photo: mil.in.ua and a screenshot of t.me/the_warshal18)

In the Kursk region, the Special Operations Forces captured a DPRK soldier and seized other trophies (photo: mil.in.ua and a screenshot of t.me/the_warshal18)

“The Special Operations Forces conducted an operation to eliminate the enemy in the Kursk direction. In addition to successfully completing the mission, there were also trophies: prisoners, including a mercenary from Korea, as well as an armored personnel carrier equipped with anti-cumulative protection,” stated the Ukrainian media.

It is important to note that prior to this, there had been no reports of North Korean soldiers being captured while assisting Russia in its fight against Ukraine. If confirmed, this would mark the first addition to the “exchange pool” of North Korean soldiers.

DPRK troops fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine

According to South Korean officials, around 11,000 North Korean soldiers have already been sent to Russia. After training and preparation, some of them were deployed to the Kursk region to join the Russian army in battles against Ukrainian Defense Forces.

On December 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia had begun deploying North Korean soldiers to the fighting in the Kursk region.

Earlier, South Korean intelligence reported that at least 100 North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia had been killed, and another 1,000 were injured during intense fighting with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.

On December 26, Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine noted that North Korean troops in the Kursk region continued to suffer losses.

In addition, South Korean intelligence recently stated that North Korea may supply Russia with kamikaze drones and additional troops.

Russian authorities and Crimean occupation officials plan to hold a televised event to mark the anniversary of the Yalta Conference. During the broadcast, they intend to promote narratives about alleged Nazism in Ukraine and the obsolescence of the global order, reports the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRC).

The Kremlin reportedly aims to use the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II to reinforce its self-proclaimed role as a “fighter against Nazism.” Moscow plans to exploit historical themes to justify its aggression.

To achieve this, Russia intends to engage its global agents of influence. Their participation in such events is meant to portray Russia as the primary defender against Nazism. In this narrative, the “current fascist Russia” claims it can unilaterally determine who qualifies as a Nazi worldwide. This purportedly gives Moscow the right to invade sovereign states.

The NRC noted that the broadcast commemorating the Yalta Conference is scheduled for February 2025. It will connect studios in Simferopol with studios in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

The NRC indicated that during the event, Russian authorities planned to spread narratives about Nazism in Ukraine and the outdated nature of the modern global order. It also noted that the enemy was currently seeking Western partners to participate in this charade.

Additionally, Russia’s attempts to promote this agenda internationally would fail. It described modern Russia as the primary threat to global security.

Yalta conference

The Yalta (Crimean) Conference of Allied Powers occurred from February 4 to 11, 1945. It was the second major meeting of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition —the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom — during World War II. The conference focused on establishing the post-war global order.

The meeting occurred at the Livadia (White) Palace in the village of Livadia, located three kilometers from Yalta. It was the last summit of the “Big Three” leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition during the pre-nuclear era.

The key decisions of the conference addressed two main issues:

First, the state borders were redrawn in territories recently occupied by the Third Reich. Informal but universally recognized demarcation lines were to be established between the spheres of influence of the Allied powers, a process initiated at the Tehran Conference in 1943.

Second, the Allies recognized that, with the disappearance of their common enemy, the temporary alliance between the West and the Soviet Union would lose its purpose. As a result, they sought to establish procedures to ensure the permanence of the demarcation lines drawn on the world map.

The so-called Declaration on Liberated Europe, adopted during the Yalta Conference, gave the Soviet Union significant leeway to interpret assistance to liberated nations. This enabled the USSR to secure political control over its occupied countries, leading to the Sovietization of Eastern and Central Europe and ultimately causing the Cold War.

The situation in temporarily occupied territories

Russian forces continue to engage in anti-social and terrorist activities in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

For instance, workers at the Berdyansk seaport have not received wages for several months.

In temporarily occupied Melitopol, Russian authorities are preparing to confiscate Ukrainian citizens’ homes over unpaid utility bills.

Additionally, the enemy is recruiting children from orphanages to join the Russian army.

Security forces of Syria’s transitional administration have launched an operation in the coastal province of Tartus to neutralize threats from groups loyal to the ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The operation follows the recent killing of 14 police in the region, according to Reuters and SANA. 

According to Western media, on Thursday, the new Syrian government began implementing strict security measures in the Tartus area.

This move is in response to an attack on Ministry of Interior personnel. The Syrian government blames remnants of Assad’s regime and vows to pursue them. The attack, which occurred on December 26, resulted in the deaths of 14 law enforcement officers and left 10 others injured. The new government has described the attack on the police as an ambush.

Syrian state media reported the deployment of military operations department personnel to the village of Ma’arat al-Mu’azza in rural Tartus “to restore security and stability.”

According to SANA, the operation in Tartus is also aimed at “pursuing remnants of Assad’s forces in the forests and hills.”

Preventing the threat of interfaith conflicts in Syria

The recent incident of violence in the province of Tartus, home to many members of the Shia Alawite sect (to which Assad belongs), has become the most serious challenge for Syria’s new government, led by Sunni Islamists, since the removal of President Assad from power on December 8.

“Members of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam, wielded huge sway in Assad-led Syria, dominating security forces he used against his opponents during the 13-year-long civil war, and to crush dissent during decades of bloody oppression by his police state,” Reuters notes.

Damascus authorities have also warned about attempts to provoke interfaith conflict.

Additionally, leaders of the rebel forces that ousted Assad, including representatives of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have repeatedly pledged to protect minority groups who fear that the new government may attempt to impose an Islamist regime.

On December 26, Syrian state media reported that the governor of Latakia, Mohammed Othman, met with prominent figures and Alawite sect sheikhs to “encourage community cohesion and civil peace.”

Furthermore, Syria’s Ministry of Information confirmed it is preventing the spread and publication of “any media content or news with a sectarian tone aimed at spreading division.”

Earlier reports indicated that Syria’s transitional government had reached an agreement with rebel groups to disband them. The groups are to be united under one organization under the Ministry of Defense. However, according to media reports, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces group, supported by the United States, did not join the agreement.

On December 11, Syria’s new government assured it would protect all minority groups. Syrian refugees have been urged to return home.