By love-89.com Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang on June 19, where he signed a mutual defense agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Recent reports from South Korean and Ukrainian officials indicate that North Korean soldiers are providing ground support to Russian forces, with some potentially having suffered casualties. An anonymous Ukrainian military intelligence officer noted that thousands of North Korean infantry are currently undergoing training in Russia and could be deployed to the front lines of the Ukraine conflict by the end of this year. This has led to speculation about whether the military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has entered a new phase.
On October 10, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims regarding the deployment of North Korean military personnel to Ukraine, calling it a “hoax.”
According to The Washington Post, an anonymous Ukrainian official stated that North Korean officers have been observing Russian troops and studying the battlefield in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, although no North Korean forces have yet been seen actively engaged in combat.
Reports on social media platforms like Telegram and Ukrainian media last week suggested that North Korean soldiers are supporting Russian forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine, which is currently under Russian occupation.
Following the summer signing of the mutual defense agreement between Kim and Putin, Kim pledged to “fully support” Putin’s efforts against Ukraine.
On October 8, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun told the National Assembly that the reports of North Korean troops assisting Russia were indeed “very probable,” and Seoul anticipates that Pyongyang will send more personnel to aid in the conflict. He stated, “Russia and North Korea have reached what is essentially a military alliance agreement, so it’s highly likely that North Korea will increase its troop deployment. This is our assessment, and we will prepare accordingly.”
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s center for combating misinformation, also stated in a Telegram post on October 8 that North Korean military engineers supervising weapon usage have been dispatched to the Ukraine front, with some reportedly having lost their lives.
Ukrainian military intelligence officials remain unclear about where the North Korean troops undergoing training in Russia will be deployed along the front lines in Ukraine. They pointed out that Russia could utilize North Korean troops in border areas, allowing Russian forces to redeploy more of their personnel to the battlefield in Ukraine, which could have significant implications.
Cha Du-Hyeogn, a former South Korean intelligence advisor and researcher on North Korean issues at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, noted that while North Korea’s weaponry is based on outdated Soviet-era technology, it has been modified, necessitating direct guidance and oversight during its use.