According to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korea has decided to significantly increase the number of its troops in the Russian army. It is quite possible that the Kim Jong-un regime will send an additional 25-30 thousand soldiers to the war against Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Western intelligence officials claim that a previous deployment of 11,000 North Korean soldiers resulted in significant casualties, but did not deter further cooperation.
- Experts suggest that while the estimated number of 30,000 troops may be exaggerated, a deployment of 20,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia is considered plausible.
What is known about North Korea's plans to help Russia?
As the media learned from Ukrainian intelligence, North Korean soldiers may arrive in Russia in the coming months.
What is important to understand is that in November 2024, North Korea had already sent 11,000 to Russia.
They helped the Russians repel Ukraine's attack on the Kursk region.
Western intelligence officials claim that about 4,000 of these North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded during the deployment, but this still did not prevent the dictatorships from cooperating.
Journalists note that preparations for the new deployment, including the arrival of a ship at a Russian port and cargo planes at the North Korean Sunan airport, have been spotted on satellite images.
A statement on this occasion was made by Jenny Town, a senior fellow and director of the Korea Program at the Stimson Center.
In her opinion, the Ukrainian intelligence estimate of 30,000 North Korean soldiers sounds "exaggerated", but the estimate of 20,000 is quite likely.
