Victory Chronicles-DAY 1013

According to intelligence reports, approximately 2,000 North Korean military personnel have been transferred to Russian combat units. These personnel have been assigned to a marine brigade and an airborne division. 

This move suggests that the North Korean military has already become involved in the conflict, even if they are not on the front lines. The transfer of these troops is seen as supporting aggression against Ukraine and contributing to the killing of Ukrainian service members. The North Korean troops are led by three generals who are kept hidden and guarded in closed camps. Efforts are being made to train them while minimizing their visibility to the outside world. These developments highlight the potential involvement of external actors in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

According to Andriy Chernyak, a spokesperson for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russia has fired around 60 North Korean missiles at Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. Chernyak noted that the accuracy of the rockets is relatively low due to outdated production technologies. However, he emphasized that the KN-23 missiles still pose a significant threat to Ukraine even with obsolete technology. Andriy Kostin, the head of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, also mentioned that nearly half of the North Korean missiles launched by Russia during the winter of 2024 did not reach their targets as they exploded in the air. This information highlights the ongoing aggression of Russia towards Ukraine and the potential danger of these missile attacks.

A drone attack carried out by Russian occupants in Ternopil resulted in the death of one person and injuries to four others. The attack caused significant damage to a residential building, a school, and 20 cars. The strike caused a large-scale fire, evacuating approximately 100 residents and establishing a mobile resilience center for victims on the site. Psychologists are also providing support to those affected. The head of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, Vyacheslav Nehoda, later confirmed that four individuals were injured in the attack. One of the wounded was the wife of the deceased, who sustained severe injuries. As a result of the incident, 94 residents of the affected building have been displaced.

Mykolaiv Marines successfully defended against an attack from Russian paratroopers in the Kursk region. The enemy launched the assault using small groups of infantry on ATVs, but the Marines could destroy two ATVs using remote mining and FPV drones. The remaining enemy infantry reached the Marines’ fortifications, where they were ultimately defeated by the brigade’s artillery and attack drones. The sources from the 36th Brigade and “Ukrainska Pravda” reported that the Russian attack aircraft suffered significant losses, with 16 killed and 29 wounded. 

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reportedly replaced Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel with Colonel General Alexander Chaiko who will reprise his previous assignment as commander of the Russian Force Grouping in Syria, though it remains unclear how Russian operations in Syria may change.

Russian ultranationalist milbloggers, including the Kremlin-linked Rybar Telegram channel, claimed on November 30 and December 1 that the MoD removed Kisel as Commander of the Russian Force Grouping in Syria and replaced him with Chaiko. Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported on December 1 that Chaiko replaced Kisel and that Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev arrived in Tartus, Syria.

Chaiko served as chief of staff of the Russian Force Grouping in Syria from 2015 to 2017 and served as overall commander of the Russian Force Grouping in Syria in September 2019 to November 2020, February to June 2021, and September to December 2022. It is unclear what Chaiko’s assignment was between December 2022 until present. Kisel has reportedly commanded the Russian Force Grouping in Syria since at least May 2024.

Some Russian milbloggers claimed that Kisel’s removal will not significantly change the situation or Russian operations in Syria because the Russian military command has routinely rotated commanders to positions in Syria after battlefield failures in Ukraine. ISW is unable to independently confirm this reported command change at this time.

Junior Sergeant Oleksandr “Elektryk” Hushel died on 1 March 2024 near the village of Tonenke near Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. In the line of duty, he was fatally wounded as a result of an enemy attack from a UAV. On 27 February, the defender turned 50 years old.

Oleksandr was a resident of Kyiv. He had a university degree in economics but did not work in his field. In civilian life, he was a specialist in technical supervision at the construction company BC Construction Technologies. He was passionate about everything he undertook and saw it through. In his spare time, he liked to go to the cinema or shooting range.

The man joined the Defense Forces in the first days of the full-scale war. He served as an assistant grenade launcher of the 127th Battalion of the 112th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade. He was awarded a departmental decoration of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

‘My father was wise, calm, and always made well-considered decisions; you could rely on him without even doubting him. I remember meeting at one of the destinations in Druzhkivka, but I regret that we did not take a photo because neither of us liked to be photographed…’ Oleksandr’s son shared. The defender was buried in the village of Zhukyn, Kyiv region. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son and a grandson.

*Oleksandr’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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