North Korean hands bolster Russian front near Mariupol
Ukrainian partisans have discovered the precise location within Ukrainian territory where North Korean instructors collaborating with Russian Federation forces are hiding. The training ground is reportedly near the village of Sartana, not far from Mariupol in the Donetsk region.
12:16 PM EDT, October 14, 2024
Although experts’ analyses suggest that Russia has enough equipment to continue its military efforts for several more months, any assistance from Moscow's allies is invaluable to Putin. Among those providing support is North Korea, which plans to bolster the Russian Federation's army with several thousand soldiers by the end of 2024.
It is noteworthy that Pyongyang supports Moscow with military personnel and valuable equipment for conducting strikes. For months, North Korea has been sending Russia shipments of artillery ammunition of 4.8-inch and 6-inch calibers, as well as KN-23 ballistic missiles (Hwasong-11Ga) featuring warheads weighing 1,100 lbs.
Support for Russia from North Korea
According to the Ukrainian agency Unian, as cited by reports from partisans operating behind enemy lines, support from North Korea is already present on the front line and stationed in Ukraine, near Mariupol.
"North Korean instructors are overseeing the preparation of the testing ground and likely feel confident and safe at this moment because many residents of the communities around the village of Sartana actively collaborated with the occupier," reads a communiqué from the partisan group on Telegram. Ukrainians add that "for the partisan resistance movement, North Korean instructors or officers are considered the same target as Russian occupiers and collaborators."
They came from North Korea to support Russia in Ukraine
The partisans do not specify what actions the Koreans are undertaking in collaboration with the Russians near Mariupol. However, it is important to note that Pyongyang's missiles of 4.8-inch and 6-inch calibers, which have been delivered to Moscow, are compatible with the BM-21 Grad launcher. These types of ammunition allow for strikes at a maximum distance of several miles.
The 4.8-inch caliber missiles range about 9 miles, while the larger 6-inch weapons reach slightly farther, at 11 miles. The difference between these missiles is that the larger caliber contains up to 18 lbs of TNT, while the smaller ammunition contains a maximum of 8 lbs of explosive material.
