South Koreas spy agency has uncovered a startling development: about 1‚500 North Korean special forces are training in far-eastern Russia. The agency presented satellite photos that track their movements – a revelation thatʼs sure to raise eyebrows in the international community
Ukrainian officials have made a bold claim: North Korea is getting ready to send up to 10‚000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. This move could make things much worse between Pyongyang and Western countries
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea first noticed a top Pyongyang missile development official visiting Russian front lines in August 2023 with dozens of other North Korean officers. They were giving “on-site guidance“ to Russian forces using North Korean weapons the agency said
From 10/8/24 to 10/13/24‚ the NIS tracked about 1‚500 North Korean special forces troops moving to eastern Russia. The agency said Kim Jong Un who has promised to support Russia in its war on Ukraine checked on the troops twice before they were sent out. The troops were given Russian uniforms weapons and IDs and put into units with Siberian soldiers to try to make them look Russian instead of North Korean
Seoul also said that Pyongyang has given Russia about 13‚000 containers of weapons in as many as 70 shipments since August 2023 including:
- Up to 8 million rounds of 122mm and 152mm artillery shells
- Missiles
- Antitank rockets
The spy agency said‚ “The direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea that foreign media has been reporting has officially been confirmed“
This news comes at a tough time for Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky tries to get support for his “victory plan“ to end the war. Heʼs been traveling to the United States and Europe to ask partners for help including permission to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia and to try to get fast-tracked NATO membership that would give Ukraine important security guarantees
Vladimir Putin and Kim signed a mutual defense pact in summer 2024 promising to expand their military teamwork. If North Korean troops fight in the Russian war it would be their first major combat effort outside their country. North Koreaʼs thinking is that “a soldier should be inside the country where he or she may be controlled and indoctrinated“ said Fyodor Tertitskiy an expert on North Koreaʼs history and military at Seouls Kookmin University
Early on 10/18/24 Yoon Suk Yeol held an emergency meeting with top national security defense and intelligence officials to talk about North Korean troops being sent to Russia and possible “future response measures“ the presidential office said
Zelensky visited Brussels on 10/17/24 where he met with top officials to present his plan and told reporters that Ukrainian intelligence has found out that some North Korean officers are already in Ukraine and that about 10‚000 more troops are being prepared to fight. Ukrainian spy chief Kyrylo Budanov told a military news website that 2‚600 of those North Koreans will be sent to fight in Russiaʼs Kursk region where Ukraine started a surprise counterattack in August 2024 and now controls a piece of Russian territory