Information
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has reported that North Korea has begun sending troops to Russia to support its war efforts in Ukraine. An initial contingent of 1,500 special forces soldiers was deployed to Russia’s Vladivostok via a Russian Navy transport ship, with a total of 12,000 troops, including four brigades of special forces, expected to be sent. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol held an emergency security meeting, citing that this troop deployment poses a significant threat to both South Korea and the international community. According to the NIS, these North Korean soldiers are being issued Russian uniforms, weapons, and forged IDs, and are stationed in several military bases across Russia. Satellite images have shown Russian naval movements and suspected North Korean military activities in Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk.
Despite Russia’s denial of these reports, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissing them as “fake news,” Ukrainian officials claim to have already detected the presence of North Korean officers in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that North Korea is preparing 10,000 soldiers for deployment, with tactical personnel and officers reportedly on the ground in Ukraine. This collaboration between Russia and North Korea marks a new escalation in the conflict and further strains relations between the Koreas, intensifying concerns about regional and global security.
Source: AP, AFP, Reuters
So what
I find this move quite strange, the one thing that Russia does not really lack is troop numbers, so why have they turned to North Korea for troops. One possibility may be that Russia lacks troops with a reasonable level of training and has to rely more and more on fresh conscripts. Another option is that North Korea has sent them as part of a deal, exchanging them for money or, more likely, technology. Regardless, it is unlikely that these troops will make a decisive change to the battlefield.
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