Moscow, Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday (Dec 17) claimed that Russian troops have burnt the faces of deceased North Korean soldiers to conceal their identity and hide their presence. 

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Zelensky shared a 31-second video, showing a group of people burning what appears to be a corpse on a snow-covered slope. 

"Even after years of war, when we thought the Russians could not get any more cynical, we see something even worse," Zelensky said in a post on X. 

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He further said that Russia not only sends the North Korean troops to storm Ukrainian positions but also "tries to conceal losses of these people".

The Ukrainian president stressed that the Russians attempted to erase any video evidence of their presence. 

"Now, after first combats with our warriors, Russians are trying…to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle," he said, adding, "This is a demonstration of disrespect, which is currently prevalent in Russia, a disrespect to everything human."

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Also read: Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv claims killing or injuring 30 North Korean soldiers in Kursk region

Zelensky said that there is not a single reason for North Koreans to fight and die for Putin. 

"This madness must be stopped—stopped by a reliable and durable peace, as well as Russia’s accountability for this cynical war," he emphasised. 

Earlier on Monday, Zelensky claimed that around 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk border region. This was the first reported casualties since Kyiv announced that Pyongyang had sent 10,000 troops to Russia to help in its war with Ukraine. 

Watch | Russia-Ukraine War: Trump To Talk To Zelensky, Putin To End War

Prior to that, he said that he had "preliminary evidence that the Russians have begun to use soldiers from North Korea in assaults, a noticeable number of them."

Washington and Seoul have also accused Pyongyang of sending over 10,000 troops to support Moscow following the signing of a significant defence agreement between Russia and North Korea earlier this year.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)