The horrors of the war in Ukraine seen from satellites
- Damage to the port city of Mariupol
Song-hak Chung
Ph.D. in Remote Sensing
Research Specialist at the Korea Space Security Research Institute
Citing Ukrainian security sources, US CNN reported in November 2024 that a North Korean ‘technician group’ entered Mariupol, Ukraine, which is occupied by Russia. According to the sources, they all wore Russian military uniforms, and the purpose of the visit was not clear.
Mariupol, a port city in southeastern Ukraine, faces mainland Russia with the Black Sea in between. Russia's invasion in February 2022 turned Ukraine's Mariupol into a battleground, and it was completely captured by Russian forces in May, three months later, to the present day.
The horrors of the war were also revealed in the images taken by satellites. Referring to Google Earth high-resolution satellite imagery, the wounds of war in private and industrial facilities in Mariupol were looked at.
The Ukrainian port city of Mariupol faces Russia over the Black Sea. It is now occupied and effectively controlled by Russia.
/Source =Google
A ruined industrial facility, Azovstal steel mill
This is a view of the ruins of the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, which was destroyed by Russian bombing.
Major industrial facilities in the country are the preferred targets of bombing by warring partners. /Image: Google Earth
Mariupol was a representative steel city in Ukraine. An industrial facility in the port city of Mariupol was devastated by a Russian bombing. The ruined industrial facility is the Azovstal steelworks building, and traces of destruction are identified on the roof and throughout the area.
In the event of war, national infrastructure becomes the primary military target. A Ukrainian steel mill facility that produces ‘industrial rice’ has been shattered by the war, and has not been restored and is still neglected under Russia's effective control.
A large shopping mall that disappeared
The Russian bombing shattered a large shopping mall in Mariupol, leaving only the skeleton and traces of the building structure.
Above the rubble lies a signboard indicating that it was a shopping mall before the war. /Image: Google Earth
Even a large shopping mall in Mariupol, which was usually crowded with residents, could not escape the devastation of the war. The roof of the building was blown away by the Russian bombing in the spring of 2022 and only some traces of the steel structure remained, making us realize the desolation of the ruins. In the center of the satellite image, a fallen sign can be seen on a pile of rubble.
The sign reading "EPICENTRA" identified in the attached photo (before the war) shows that this was originally a large shopping mall. None of the goods and items are seen in the broken rubble of the ruined shopping mall. Large parking lots are also empty, and everything has disappeared during the war.
A residential area shattered by bombing and street warfare
The peaceful Mariupol housing complex was devastated by war. Traces of street warfare are identified everywhere
along with the debris. /Image: Google Earth
Even the Mariupol residential area, where neighbors and residents lived together, was unable to escape the horrors of the war. It is identified everywhere that the bombed houses are shattered to the extent that it is difficult to find their shape. All the original inhabitants of the Russian-occupied city appear to have left, adding to the desolation and loneliness by leaving only the traces of the fierce city war at the time. Parks and housing complexes in the forest of peace where children would have run around have turned into ‘ghost villages’ to the extent that it is difficult to find people.
The effects of the end of the war on the Korean Peninsula
Once the war ends between Ukraine and Russia, Russia may no longer need North Korea's military support, potentially reducing Moscow's strategic interest. Some experts, however, predict that Russia's relationship with North Korea will not easily grow apart due to the persistence of anti-U.S. policies and geopolitical interests.
North Korea is receiving various forms of compensation, including cash, food and military technology, in exchange for providing troops and weapons to Russia, giving it an economic breathing room and an opportunity to modernize its military capabilities. In particular, it is of great strategic significance that North Korea's military and diplomatic position has been strengthened by signing of a mutual defense treaty with Russia.
The North Korean military's hands-on experience on the battlefield in Ukraine can be a significant challenge to the security of the Korean Peninsula in that it can contribute to their future use of more sophisticated and flexible tactics. Preparing for a new response and reviewing military strategies are becoming more important to the South Korean government to counter this.