According to available information, the North Korean military contingent numbering up to 12,000 people is undergoing training at five training grounds of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. This contingent includes at least 500 North Korean officers.
Points of attention
- The UN Security Council revealed the names of three North Korean generals participating in Russia's war against Ukraine: Colonel General Kim Young Bok, Colonel General Lee Chang-ho, and Major General Shin Geum-chol.
- Up to 12,000 North Korean military personnel are undergoing training in Russia, with plans to create at least five divisions integrated into the Russian Armed Forces.
- The participation of North Korean troops in the conflict poses a dangerous escalation with global implications, violating international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
- The US confirms the relocation of North Korean soldiers from Russia to the Kursk region, raising concerns about their involvement in the ongoing conflict near the Ukrainian border.
- The integration of North Korean troops into the Russian military raises questions about the long-term consequences and the impact on Ukraine's ability to defend itself against nuclear states.
Kyslytsia at the UN named the North Korean generals who came to Russia
As the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Sergei Kyslytsia, said at the meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to maintaining peace and security in Ukraine, the contingent includes at least 500 officers, including three generals of the North Korean General Staff:
Colonel General Kim Young Bok, Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Special Operations;
Colonel General Lee Chang-ho, head of the Intelligence Directorate;
Major General Shin Geum-chol, Chief of the Main Operational Directorate.
Russia plans to create at least five divisions of the North Korean military, numbering from 2 to 3 thousand people. North Korean soldiers will wear Russian uniforms, use Russian weapons and have Russian documents. In order to hide the presence of foreign troops, they are integrated into units staffed by ethnic minorities, in particular, into the "special Buryat battalion" of the 11th separate amphibious assault brigade.
Serhii Kyslytsia
As the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN
Kyslytsia also reported that from October 23 to 28, no less than seven planes with 2,100 military personnel flew from the Russian military district to the Ukrainian border, with the expected increase in numbers to 4,500 by the beginning of November, when they will begin to participate in hostilities.
Kyslytsia noted that such actions violate international law, the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions.
The active participation of North Korean troops in the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine is an alarming signal for the whole world — it is a new, dangerous stage of the war with global consequences, he said.
Kyslytsia also emphasized that the North Korean military will return home with unique combat experience that they can use in other conflicts.
And what is most surprising is that even against the background of the alliance between the Russian Federation and North Korea, some people continue to believe that limiting Ukraine's ability to defend itself against two nuclear states will contribute to peace. Such a position is either naive or cynical. Weakening Ukraine's defense will only provide temporary peace at the cost of its lives and infrastructure, which Ukraine will never agree to, Kyslytsia summarized.
The USA confirms the presence of part of the North Korean military in Kurshchyna
The Ministry of Defense of the United States draws attention to the fact that the North Korean military, which arrived in Russia for training, has already left for the Kursk region.
In addition, it is emphasized that some of them are already there.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder made a statement on this matter.
He officially confirmed intelligence reports that some of the 10,000 North Korean soldiers who arrived in Russia were relocated closer to Ukraine, namely to the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
It's about a few thousand. A smaller number is already present in the Kursk region, — added the representative of the US Ministry of Defense.
It is worth noting that earlier Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned about the arrival of North Korean soldiers.
