On October 18, South Korea's intelligence agency confirmed that North Korea has decided to send about 10,000 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine and has already begun deploying units.
Points of attention
- North Korea has deployed 1,500 troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, with plans for a total of 12,000 troops being involved.
- The integration of North Korean soldiers with Russian military units raises concerns about the covert nature of their participation in the conflict.
- The close military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang signals a significant development with implications for the conflict in Ukraine.
- NATO and EU officials are closely monitoring the situation and expressing concerns over North Korea's involvement in fueling Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
- The partnership treaty between Putin and Kim Jong Un includes provisions on mutual defense, reflecting the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea.
The DPRK sent 1,500 soldiers to Russia
The confirmation from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) came after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called an emergency security meeting amid growing speculation that North Korea may be providing soldiers to fight Russia in Ukraine.
After the meeting, the NIS said it had confirmed "the beginning of North Korea's direct involvement" in the war in Ukraine after learning that troops from the North had been transferred to Russian Navy transport ships.
The NIS also said it had confirmed that Pyongyang began transporting its special forces to Russia from October 8 to 13.
According to the NIS, approximately 1,500 North Korean soldiers were transported during the first phase using four amphibious assault ships and three escort vessels owned by Russia.
These troops were transferred from areas near the northern cities of Chongjin, Hamhung and Musudan to Vladivostok. NIS said it expects the second phase of transportation to take place soon.
An intelligence source in Seoul reported that North Korea is expected to involve a total of 12,000 troops in the war in Ukraine, including from the country's most elite military units.
North Korean troops stationed in Russia have been stationed in various locations in the Far East, including Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk, where they are now integrated with Russian military units.
According to the Seoul intelligence agency, they were given Russian military uniforms and weapons. In addition, false IDs were also provided, posing as local residents, apparently to conceal their involvement by posing as part of the Russian forces.
They are expected to be sent to the front line after completing their orientation training, according to NIS officials.
Seoul's presidential office said South Korea has closely monitored North Korea's troop movement to Russia from the beginning in coordination with its allies, and will continue to monitor the situation and take all necessary preemptive measures.
The North Korean deployment signals a major development in military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, in addition to the suspected arms trade, which is already criticized by the international community.
North Korean soldiers will fight for Russia against Ukraine: what is known
Moscow and Pyongyang have recently forged closer ties, with President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signing a new partnership treaty that includes provisions on mutual defense during their summit in Pyongyang in June.
On October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi cited Ukrainian intelligence reports that North Korean personnel are already stationed in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, and an additional 10,000 troops are preparing to join the fight.
Zelensky suggested that Russia is relying on North Korean forces to offset its heavy troop losses as many young Russians seek to avoid conscription.
Following the NIS announcement, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told a press conference in Brussels that the organization was in "close contact with all our partners, including the Republic of Korea" regarding the development of relations between North Korea and Russia, but stressed that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization needed further confirmation , to come to a conclusion.
In his response to a request from the Yonhap news agency, Rutte emphasized that North Korea is helping to fuel Russia's aggression against Ukraine, even if it was not physically on the battlefield helping Moscow.
EU spokesman Peter Stano said that North Korea's continued military support for Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine will be met with an appropriate response.
According to Kyril Budanov, the head of the DIU, the North Korean military must be ready for combat operations from November 1.
In addition, it is noted that they will use Russian equipment and ammunition.
Kyrylo Budanov warned that the Russian authorities will send the first unit of 2,600 soldiers to the Kursk region.
As for further plans for the movement of the rest of the North Korean troops, there is no information yet.
