Russian troops troll Ukrainians by raising North Korean flag in DPR

The Russian troops raised a North Korean flag against the backdrop of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement about the participation of DPRK fighters in the special military operation. The flag was raised in a settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic.

A "DPRK flag" was installed on a waste heap near the village of Tsukurino in the DPR after the Russian forces took the settlement under control. The flag was seen flying next to the national flag of the Russian Federation. The photo of the two flags was published on War Correspondents of the Russian Spring Telegram channel.

"Our fighters have caused hysteria in the ranks of the enemy with their actions," the caption to the photo says.

War correspondent Alexander Kots said that Russian fighters of the Center group of troops were thus "trolling" Ukrainian servicemen.

"Some thick trolling from Center fighters in the Pokrovsky direction that Ukrainian channels were quick to pick up. There are Russian and North Korean flags flying on top of a waste heap. Where is the UN looking?!" war correspondent Alexander Kots wrote. 

A few days earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it was not only the Russian military that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were fighting with.

“Ukraine is fighting with three countries — Russia, Iran, and North Korea,” he said, when presenting his “victory plan.”

South Korean President Yun Sok-yol convened an emergency meeting to discuss the “redeployment” of DPRK troops to Russia, allegedly before sending them to Ukraine. Seoul called it a “serious security threat.”

In response to Zelensky’s statement, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the alliance had no evidence of the presence of the North Korean army in Ukraine.

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin could not confirm the presence of DPRK troops in the special operation zone either.

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The Donetsk People's Republic is a republic of Russia, comprising the eastern Ukraine's former Donetsk Oblast, with its capital in Donetsk. The DPR was created by Russian-backed paramilitaries in 2014, and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed in 2022. The entire territory of DPR is viewed as sovereign territory of Ukraine by nearly all UN member states.

North Korea officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. North Korea, like its southern counterpart, claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city.