North Korea soldiers turn on Putin and Russia as they 'steal supplies and disobey orders'

North Korea's brutal battlefield tactics have been laid bare by Ukrainian servicemen (Image: Getty)

Soldiers from North Korea fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine have stolen supplies and "failed" to defend Kim Jong-Un's dignity, a report claims.

Acts of disloyalty, including "an unimaginably disgraceful act" of "stealing supplies" have been reported, according to documents cited by CNN and reported likely to have been written by a North Korean officer.

Express.co.uk has not been able to independently verify any of the claims in the report or its sources.

A second note reported by the US broadcaster said another North Korean soldier "failed to uphold the Supreme Commander's (Kim Jon-Un) dignity" by placing his personal interests "above all".

Further, shocking details of the brutal tactics employed by North Korean soldiers in Ukraine are reported by the outlet, including the use of grenades to blow themselves up if cornered by Ukrainian troops.

Pyongyang wants North Korean troops to gain experience of modern warfare, which includes drones (Image: Getty)

Unverified video not seen by this publication is reported to show a North Korean scream before detonating a grenade next to his head as a Ukrainian soldier pulls his leg to check if he is alive.

An unnamed Ukrainian soldier, using the call sign Pokémon, said: "They use grenades, which means they can blow themselves up... Despite all attempts to call them to surrender, they will continue to fight."

Another unnamed soldier, using the call sign Amur, suggested North Korean soldiers are given few supplies, with just up to a litre of water and no extra warm clothes.

North Korea's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine started with delivery of artillery shells in 2022.

Amid manpower shortages and a reluctance on Moscow's part to launch another round of mobilisation, some 10,000 to 11,000 North Korean troops are believed to have joined the war late last year.

North Korean soldiers have been ordered to kill themselves rather than being taken alive (Image: Getty)

Documents found on the bodies of dead North Korean soldiers as well as Ukrainian accounts from the battlefield, show North Koreans have been ordered to kill themselves rather than being taken alive.

Experts have said North Korea's involvement is unlikely to make much difference to the outcome of the war, which has ground on since February 2022.

Pyongyang is said to be keen for its troops to acquire combat experience, with the Hermit Kingdom not having been involved in direct conflict for decades.

By joining the fighting, North Korea has been able to test weapons systems and access Russian military technology, according to the Atlantic Council.

Pokémon said while North Korean soldiers were "trained, hardy fighters", they hadn't had to face drones, which have been widely deployed in the war.

He said the North Koreans were prepared for the realities of war in 1980 "at best" while Amur said they were "hard to catch" with drones especially. Amur went on to suggest Ukrainian fighters caught by their North Korean counterparts are shown no mercy.

Amur said: "They don’t take our prisoners. All of our servicemen we found are shot in the back of the head."