In Russia’s far east, North Korean soldiers are reportedly being trained to fight in the war against Ukraine. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian intelligence, has said that more than 10,000 North Korean troops will not only assist and train Russian forces, but also fight alongside them – starting next month. At least 2,600 of these troops could be deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, to free up Russian soldiers to join Vladimir Putin’s offensive in the Donbas.
Zelensky said this means North Korea has ‘effectively joined’ the war
South Korea’s spy agency reports that North Korea is sending 12,000 men from four brigades, including elite special forces, to join the war in Ukraine, with deployment already in progress. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said this means that North Korea has ‘effectively joined’ the war. Nearly half of all the artillery shells used by Russia in Ukraine are supplied by North Korea. Kim Jong Un has also sent KN-23 ballistic missiles to Russia in exchange for military technology for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
This week, Putin submitted a draft law to the State Duma, one of the lower chambers in the Russian parliament, to ratify a strategic partnership agreement between Moscow and North Korea. Article 4 of this law states that if one party faces an armed attack by any state or group of states, the other will immediately provide military and other assistance by all available means. Both leaders signed the agreement in June, when Putin visited Pyongyang and was met with a red carpet, roses, waving crowds and ceremonial gunfire. North Korea announced its intention to send an engineering unit to join Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
There is not yet any clear evidence of North Korean soldiers being on the front line. One video allegedly showing North Korean soldiers training in Russia was shared on Russian telegram channels, but this couldn’t be verified. Ukraine claimed that six North Korean officers were killed in a missile strike near Donetsk early this month, a statement that the South Korean defence minister deemed ‘likely’ to be true. Zelensky has also indicated that North Korean troops are already in occupied territories, though he has provided no evidence to support this claim.
Washington is, as always, ‘concerned’. Sean Savett, a spokesman for the White House National Council, stated that this move would reflect ‘a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield’. Condemnation, however, won’t help much if the reports turn out to be true. Zelensky warned that Putin will match the European Union’s arms production next year and is preparing reinforcements to prolong the war rather than end it. Russia is winning – and Moscow feels no need to seek peace any time soon.
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