Gerasimov's sophisticated ambiguity and the echo of the scream that terrorizes the West

Last summer, in conjunction with the operation conducted by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, I compared Ukrainian Defense Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrsky to Scipio Africanus, for taking the war across the border, into enemy territory.¹. Unlike the Roman general, he did not have the success he had hoped for and, in recent days, the Kremlin can boast of the almost total reconquest of the territories occupied by the Ukrainians.

The Russian propaganda machine, as the logic of war, more than ever the hybrid one, requires, did not fail to activate itself immediately, "riding the tiger" through an operation of studied dialectical construction which it is interesting to go into the merits of.

The analysis I am about to carry out is aimed at two study objectives: the first political-military at strategic level focuses on the contents and communication methods exchange between President Putin and the Russian Chief of Defense Staff Valeij Gerasimov to praise the successes achieved on the battlefield; the second concerns the contribution offered by the North Korean troops, how this is treated in Moscow's narrative and the tactical developments of the experience gained by Pyongyang's soldiers.

The dialogue between Putin and Gerasimov presented as the report made by a subordinate military man to his superior at the end of a mission – an absolutely normal procedure – is a a masterpiece of rhetoric, absolutely functional to the historical moment. And I, who for a long time have turned my interest to the figure of Valery Gerasimov as an eclectic military commander², could I avoid focusing my attention, once again, on his work?

First of all, it immediately appears unusual and, yet, understandable in light of the tones used in the dialogue between the two leader, the choice to make public what should be an operational report, as mentioned, of "end of mission". Among other things, not only the video of the video conference between the president and the general is available, complete with transcript in latere, but online you can also find the text translated into English by the official website of the Russian presidency³. It is not known whether the indications on the tone to be maintained are the result of agreements between the two, but the vocabulary used is artificially studied "at the table", so much so that the dialogue seems like an extract from a Hollywood script, edited and distributed by the Istituto Luce, just to stay on the subject of "hybridization":

"Putin: Valery Vasilyevich, good afternoon.

Gerasimov: I wish you good health, comrade.⁴ supreme commander.

Putin: Valery Vasilyevich, I know that you are informed about the latest events in the Kursk region, about the results of combat activities of the past day and the entire preceding period.

Gerasimov: Comrade Supreme Commander, today the last populated area of ​​the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, was liberated by Ukrainian units, while units of the 810nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 177nd Division, the 1427th and 76th Marine Infantry Brigades, the 106th Marine Infantry Regiment and the 155th Motorized Rifle Regiment, distinguished themselves especially, thus completing the rout of the armed formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that invaded the Kursk region, the plans of the Kiev regime to create a so-called strategic bridgehead and to thwart our offensive in the Donbass. … Ukrainian units were forced to go over to the defensive; subsequently, with flank counterattacks along the state border by two airborne divisions, the 810th and 6th, as well as the actions of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth Marine Brigades, the main group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was isolated, then torn to pieces. The most active phase of the operation began on March XNUMX this year, as a result of the simultaneous offensive of the Kursk group units and formations in all directions, as well as the breakthrough into the enemy's rear by the clandestine landing force consisting of veteran volunteers, the XNUMXth Airborne Assault Brigade, the XNUMXth Rifle Regiment and the Akhmat special forces detachment through the gas pipeline⁵."⁶

Worth noting is the extensive reference to Russian units involved in the fighting, repeated in an even more extensive and hagiographic way by President Putin in the final part of the meeting:

“Valery Vasilyevich, for several months you have been regularly reporting to me on the situation in the Kursk region, and you have mentioned our most effective units. I cannot help but mention them again today: the 76th Airborne Division, the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment of this division, the 237th Airborne Assault Regiment and the 104th Airborne Assault Regiment of this division, the 106th Airborne Division and its 119th Parachute Assault Regiment, the 137th Parachute Assault Regiment, the 51st Parachute Assault Regiment. And also the 56th Airborne Assault Regiment of the 7th Airborne Assault Division, two Akhmat regiments, the 204th Akhmat Special Regiment and the 1434th Motorized Rifle Regiment. Akhmat, the 22nd motorized rifle regiment of the 72nd division, the 11th airborne assault brigade, the 83rd separate airborne assault brigade, finally our glorious marines: the 155th marine brigade of the Pacific Fleet, the 800th marine brigade of the Black Sea Fleet and, of course, you just spoke about this formation of veteran volunteers who carried out a daring underground infiltration into the Sudzha area and created the conditions for its complete liberation. Congratulations to all personnel of all military units who took part in the defeat of the neo-Nazi formations that invaded Russian territory in the Kursk region. The adventure of the Kiev regime has completely failed and the huge losses suffered by the enemy, including among the most combat-ready, trained and equipped even with Western models of equipment.”⁷

Veteran volunteers… daring landing… glorious marines… defeat of neo-Nazi formations… enormous losses suffered by the enemy, including those most combat-ready, trained and equipped even with Western models of equipment… We have just read the recipe with all the ingredients for the future celebration of another day commemorating another Great Patriotic War. The greatest emphasis is in Gerasimov's gloss “I serve Russia!”⁸. The story reaches its peak. My colleague – he is a general and I am a general too, although of a much lower rank – will forgive me for the subtle irony, but I have never concluded a report to a superior of mine with the heartfelt expression “Long live Italy!”. I wouldn't have done it even in front of the President of the Republic. It is certainly more appropriate in a context full of pathos, which may be an official public ceremony.

Let us dwell for a moment on the “large numbers” of losses inflicted on the enemy in terms of men and equipment:

"Gerasimov: The total losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amounted to over 76.000 servicemen, killed and wounded. In fact, the enemy lost the original group and even more. We destroyed over 7.700 pieces of military equipment, including 412 tanks, 340 infantry fighting vehicles, 314 personnel carriers and about 2.300 other armored fighting vehicles."⁹

Accounting aspects that leave a bit of time to find in terms of absolute credibility, as happens in the accounts of Ukrainian propaganda. Instead, the numerous elements detectable in the text that indicate the adoption of tactics and procedures that between encirclements, attacks on the flanks, breakthroughs and infiltrations in the rear appear very different from those imposed for months by the operational situation in Donbass. We are witnessing a very marked maneuver approach, rather than the war of position and attrition conducted for over two years in the oblast' Ukrainians, probably due to a smaller number of enemies to face and the difficulties in logistical support encountered by the Ukrainians.

We come, then, to the substantial contribution of the military supplied by North Korea, thrown into the fray as happened to the mercenaries of the Wagner Group in the “meat grinder” of Bakhmut and Soledar. Of the approximately 12.000 unsuspecting and expendable soldiers sent to die marching in close ranks in the open field, approximately 4.000 would have fallen¹⁰, especially in the initial phase of use, when the tactic adopted could euphemistically be defined as "risky":

“Upon their arrival at Kursk … the North Korean soldiers had distinguished themselves by physical endurance and ferocity in combat, but had suffered heavy losses due to their propensity for large-scale infantry assaults, without adequate cover from aviation and artillery.”¹¹

Let's stick to the data available from various open sources. Outdated tactics are described, especially in the criterion of advancing infantry fronts without mechanized support. Above all, these strategies have completely neglected the decisive role of drone warfare in modern conflicts, which the North Koreans had no experience of until now.¹². On the other hand, the standard equipment provided to North Korean soldiers appeared to be qualitatively superior to that distributed to Russian troops on average. Weapons recovered from the fallen confirmed the presence of AK-12 assault rifles with a dozen magazines, between five and ten grenades, several mines and an updated version of the Russian tactical backpack in which, however, very few water reserves and supplies were found.¹³The surprising mobility of Pyongyang's troops, facilitated by the lack of armor and body armor, has made these fighters particularly difficult targets for drones to hit.

It is also worth highlighting the aspects relating to the discipline and the apparently blind and absolute obedience of the military sent by Kim Jong-un, which lead to the image of the dictator being identified with that of a Chen overweight, the character played by Bruce Lee who “terrorized the West”¹⁴. In fact, on the disciplinary level, North Korean soldiers are distinguished by a much higher physical and mental resistance than the worn-out Russian ranks. By virtue of their absolute dedication to the orders received, they have shown no hesitation in sacrificing themselves in treacherous frontal assaults. According to what was reported by a certain “Borsuk”, a soldier of the Ukrainian special forces, the North Koreans:

“They seem very committed to their ideology. That's why they stick to their norms and what they've been told about who they are and what they're supposed to do. And they just couldn't do it any other way.”¹⁵

Ideological indoctrination appears to play a central role in the behavior of these units. According to some testimonies¹⁶, they would have eliminated their wounded comrades to avoid being taken prisoner, just as the Russians opened fire several times on the retreating North Koreans, fearing that capture could reveal their true identity. Let us remember that Until April 26, Moscow had never admitted the presence of North Korean troops, although the Ukrainians had repeatedly announced that they had faced them in combat, killing many soldiers, that they had captured two Pyongyang soldiers who were then interviewed publicly by international media, and although Kiev had long complained about the widespread use of North Korean weapons (artillery, ammunition and tactical ballistic missiles) to hit targets along the front line and deep into Ukrainian territory. As part of the role played by propaganda, notes were found on the bodies of fallen soldiers extolling North Korea's superiority and willingness to sacrifice themselves for the glory of their country at any cost.

It is possible, however, to have a different interpretation of this exasperated ideological fanaticism. According to some revelations confirmed both by the South Korean secret services and by the former White House national security communications advisor J. Kirby, it seems that the North Korean soldiers are forced by the high command to commit the unthinkable in order to avoid capture, because capture by Ukrainians would lead to severe reprisals against their families back home¹⁷There are numerous reports of North Korean soldiers who, instead of surrendering, preferred to blow themselves up with grenades¹⁸.

In any case, it is certainly worrying to think of a horde of armed puppets, on the order of tens of thousands of individuals, ready to sacrifice themselves in combat on European soil, without any mental reservations.

It is also true that the high toll paid on the battlefield in terms of human lives has forced the North Koreans to reconsider their methods of fighting, if only to avoid dying for nothing. The experience of combat has been very painful and, therefore, they have had to adapt to the realities of modern warfare, adopting dispersion techniques and choosing to operate with smaller deployments, to avoid attacks by drones and enemy artillery. Stanislav Krasnov, Ukrainian platoon commander of the 1st Air Assault Battalion of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, told Army TV (Kiev Army TV) that North Korean troops have changed their tactics in Russia's Kursk region, reducing the size of their assault groups and adopting greater caution in combat:

“Their tactics have changed, they have also reduced the number of troops in their assault groups. The DPRK soldiers now operate in groups of 10-15 people, unlike the initial phase of their deployment, when groups of up to 50 men advanced through the fields…Despite the reduction, the North Korean assault groups are still much larger than the Russian units, [but] they now move more cautiously, as seen with aerial reconnaissance, unlike before, when they marched fearlessly through the fields as if they owned the place.”¹⁹

The “lessons learned,” however, are not limited to the adoption of new ground maneuvering devices. According to Andriy Chernyak, spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence, in an interview with Japanese television NHK, North Korean troops have also learned to use drones and electronic warfare tactics.²⁰. Chernyak also said that despite the language barrier between them and the Russians, North Korean units carry out front-line assault tasks independently, often without direct communication with Russian commanders. “They receive basic instructions to advance towards a certain line and, once they reach it, they dig in.”²¹.

In their operational evolution, North Korean soldiers' assaults are now preceded by air strikes and artillery bombardments, which also demonstrate greater integration between North Korean and Russian forces. North Korean soldiers no longer attack in waves, but prefer assaults with small units and, once they have occupied Ukrainian positions, they hand them over to the Russian army. According to Captain Oleh Shyriaev, a Ukrainian officer who has been fighting in Kursk since last August, the North Korean army has retained its propensity to advance under heavy enemy fire, combined with combat experience that will likely be integrated into the doctrine of the vast North Korean armed forces, which number 1,2 million personnel.²².

Gerasimov himself, in his video conference with Putin, did not fail to praise the role of North Korean fighters in the liberation of the Kursk region:

“I would like to highlight in particular the participation of the servicemen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the liberation of the border areas of the Kursk region, who, in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries, made a significant contribution in suppressing the Ukrainian army battle group that launched an incursion. Soldiers and officers of the Korean People's Army achieved combat objectives side by side with the Russian servicemen and, in repelling the Ukrainian incursion, demonstrated high professionalism and endurance, courage and heroism in combat.”²³

This is the first official recognition of the use of Pyongyang's troops in operations to liberate Russian territories from Ukrainian forces, but not (so far) in those currently underway on Ukrainian territory, in reference to compliance with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, signed on June 20, 2024 between Moscow and Pyongyang, which provides for mutual military aid for the defense of the national territory in the event of an invasion.

Following Moscow's official admission of aid received from Pyongyang, North Korea also rushed to praise the work of its soldiers globally, through a statement from the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea:

“The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea clarified the following in its written statement sent to the Rodong Sinmun and the Korea Central News Agency on April 27:

The operations to liberate the Kursk region in order to repel the bold invasion of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian authorities ended victoriously.

The subunits of our Armed Forces, which participated in the operations to liberate the Kursk region, on the orders of the Head of State of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, fully demonstrated their high fighting spirit and military mettle, making a significant contribution to the annihilation of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces and the liberation of the territory of the Russian Federation, demonstrating mass heroism, unparalleled courage and spirit of sacrifice.

It is a source of pride for our state and a source of great dignity for our people to have such excellent soldiers.

The victorious conclusion of the operations to liberate the Kursk region is a victory of justice over injustice and, at the same time, a new chapter in history, which demonstrated the highest strategic level of the solid militant friendship between the DPRK and Russia, as well as the alliance and fraternal relations between the peoples of the two countries.”²⁴

The entire statement reflects the emphatic and celebratory tone of both the courage of Kim's troops and the alliance with the Kremlin; being an official proclamation, the choice of tone seems much more sensible than the dialogue constructed between the president and the Russian chief of defense staff.

Some final considerations

Certainly, Pyongyang's troops deployed against the Ukrainians have acquired direct experience gained on the modern battlefield that allows them to mitigate decades of tactical backwardness. At the same time, the use of domestically produced weapons and equipment in a high-intensity conflict allows North Korea to evaluate their effectiveness. These innovative aspects can make the country the protagonist of a new and more important role in the Asian geostrategic scenario – and it is logical that this aspect is not appreciated by Seoul – also thanks to the support of a Russia that has surrendered debtor. The debt contracted by Moscow towards such a questionable ally, as is the case for the choice to tie itself to Iran and other states more or less belonging to the BRICS, can be interpreted as the need to draw on resources no longer available to continue the war effort. Which does not mean "being at the end of its tether", but Russia could have some problems. Especially in terms of human resources to sacrifice. For intellectual honesty, it must be said that Ukraine certainly has them.

I would like to close by underlining how in the dialogue under consideration the North Korean tribute was significantly scaled down in favour of emphasizing the role played by the Russian forces who did their utmost to liberate their own territory occupied by the Ukrainians, with the repeated listing of the units employed and the excessive praise of what they had done in carrying out the operations. Of course it is embarrassing to have to recognize excessive value to foreign forces called to defend their homeland..

Finally, I wonder what my colleague Valeij Vasilievich really thinks in his heart, beyond what he has to express in front of someone who for over three years has been asking himself so many questions in front of the mess in which a Russia has gotten itself into, always “close to victory” for a long time, which, inevitably, will arrive, but when? And at what price?