North Korean soldiers bolster Russian forces in Ukraine conflict
Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing access to South Korean intelligence documents, that another group of North Korean soldiers is set to be deployed to Russia. According to reports from Ukrainian sources, the first North Korean soldiers are already fighting in Ukraine alongside the Russian army.
South Korean intelligence suspects that the North Koreans will reach the front line after a training period not exceeding one month. The Russian military prepares these recruits at military centers in Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk, Bloomberg reported.
Moscow and Pyongyang admit cooperation
Additionally, on Friday, North Korean authorities stated that any move to send troops from Pyongyang to Russia to support its military actions in Ukraine would be consistent with international law.
Until now, both Russia and North Korea had denied reports of North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
12,000 Pyongyang soldiers in Russia
The military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has significantly expanded since the start of Russia's full-scale war with Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence, only 30% of the ammunition used by the Russians is locally sourced. The largest share, 60%, is produced in North Korea, with the remaining 10% coming from Iran.
The United States and South Korea revealed that in October, at least 3,000 soldiers were transported from North Korea to Russia, and by the end of the year, Pyongyang is expected to transfer 10,000 more troops there.
On Thursday, Japanese and Ukrainian media reported that approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers, who completed training at ranges in the Russian Far East, are being transported by train to the European part of Russia, near the border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Friday via the Telegram communication platform that North Korean soldiers will be integrated into the fighting in the Kursk region in western Russia on Sunday or Monday, based on intelligence data.
