Are North Korean Troops Joining Russia's War in Ukraine? Latest Updates on Military Allegiances

Some media outlets have suggested that North Korea may be preparing to deploy its troops to Ukraine to support Russia in its conflict; The post by the Ukrainian military intelligence says that a North Korean unit of about 3,000 soldiers is being formed. This comes against the backdrop of heightened speculation that Pyongyang is warming up to Moscow to use its military might to enhance their relationship. However, up to now, the BBC was not able to see a unit of such a scale and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed possible involvement of North Korea.

The rumors are linked to other suspicions of North Korea exporting military products, for instance, bullets to Russia. But recently Ukrainian forces found a missile in the Poltava region, which, according to Kyiv, was delivered by Pyongyang. There have already been reports in December 2023 that North Korea supplied mines and shells to Russia.

Some of the North Korean soldiers are reported to be at the company locations in Russia on the Far East Mongolia border while they wait for their mission in the Kursk region. There, they could serve to protect the Russian-Ukrainian border leaving more Russian forces for more aggressive fighting. Although South Korea’s defense minister recently expressed an opinion that North Korea has likely been involved in the conflict in Ukraine, it is not clear how many North Korean soldiers had actually joined the conflict. An NPR source in Russia Far Eastern suggested that some North Korean military personnel had been deployed but only a fraction of the 3,000.

While the cooperation between North Korea and Russia in military cooperation has raised concern for U.S. and British intelligence, some analysts find it hard to believe that the current Russian army can assimilate a large number of North Korean soldiers due to language and logistical barriers. However, for the U.S. State Department, the possible use is considered another aggressive action by Russia during its growing losses in the Ukrainian crisis. Even if these reports are still based more on speculation, the developments of Russia and North Korea could have subsequent impacts on the conflicts in Ukraine and the general global situation.