North Korea has been preparing to play a more active role in Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, according to increasing intelligence, which could have far-reaching consequences beyond the European frontlines.
The United States, Ukraine, and South Korea have declared that North Korean troops were sent to Russia for training with the intention of being deployed to Ukraine.
There is a “highly concerning probability” that the 3,000 North Korean soldiers who arrived in eastern Russia this month will join the fight against Ukraine, according to the White House’s statement on Wednesday. The exact purpose of their visit is still unknown.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in his Tuesday evening speech that his country had intelligence indicating Russia was training two North Korean military units, each consisting of around 6,000 soldiers. According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian government is concerned that Russia is gathering forces to invade their country after seeing North Korean officers and technical staff in the temporarily occupied territories.
On Friday, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), a South Korean spy agency, announced the dispatch of 1,500 North Korean soldiers, including special forces fighters, to Russia for training.
Russia and North Korea executed a groundbreaking defense agreement in June, in which they committed to employing all feasible methods to render immediate military support in the event of an attack on the other.
Kyiv and Washington officials are worried about the strengthening anti-US military alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, which has occurred in the past few months.
