There is mounting evidence that North Korea has been preparing for a more direct involvement in Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, a development that might have far-reaching effects beyond of the European front lines.
According to South Korea, the United States, and Ukraine, North Korean troops were sent to Russia for training in preparation for their eventual deployment to Ukraine. Both North Korea and Russia have denied the reports, however Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Pyongyang’s troop deployment to the nation during Thursday’s BRICS conference. South Korea has hinted that any deployment could cause it to reassess what level of military support it gives Ukraine.
A group of North Korean soldiers has been spotted in Russia’s Kursk region, an area that borders Ukraine and has seen ongoing military operations, Ukraine’s military intelligence service announced Thursday. Leaked audio intercepts obtained by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and released on Friday revealed Russian soldiers raising concerns about how North Korean soldiers will be commanded and provided with ammunition and military kit, further heightening fears around Pyongyang’s involvement.
In recent months, Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened their anti-US military partnership and the growing alliance has concerned officials in Kyiv and Washington. On Wednesday, the White House said at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers had arrived in eastern Russia this month and while it remains unclear what they will do, it is a “highly concerning probability” that they will join the fight against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that North Korean troops are joining Russia’s war, telling a NATO summit last week that “10,000” soldiers and technical personnel were being prepared. Zelensky said Friday that according to Ukraine’s intelligence, Russia will deploy its first North Korean troops in combat zones on October 27 and 28, adding, “This is a clear step in Russia’s escalation that matters.”Meanwhile, South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), said last week that North Korea had shipped 1,500 soldiers, including special forces fighters, to Russia for training.
Those reports appeared to be bolstered when North Korean soldiers were filmed receiving uniforms and equipment at a training ground in Russia’s Far East. Another video circulating on social media and geolocated by CNN showed troops arriving at the Sergeevka Training Ground close to Russia’s border with China. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said Thursday that some North Korean troops, who had received training in Russia’s far east, have made their way to the Kursk region in western Russia, where Ukraine has maintained a foothold since launching a surprise incursion in August.
Russian soldiers have been heard raising concerns about how North Korean soldiers will be commanded and provided with ammunition and military kit, leaked intercepts obtained by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and released on Friday show. The Russian soldiers talk disdainfully about the incoming North Korean soldiers, codenamed the “K Battalion,” at one point referring to them as “the f**king Chinese.” In the same extract, a serviceman describes another who has been tasked to “meet people.”
Source: Here