On October 24, Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency revealed that North Korean military personnel have been identified in Russia’s Kursk region. Intelligence reports have indicated that the initial military contingents from North Korea were spotted in the conflict zone on October 23.
The defense intelligence agency confirmed the North Korean troop’s presence in the Kursk region of Russia, a border area where a significant Ukrainian military operation occurred in August. This deployment raises the potential of North Korean soldiers teaming up with Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which was sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Despite previous denials of such troop deployments as “unfounded rumors” by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not refute the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia on October 24. Putin stated that how Moscow chooses to execute its strategic partnership agreement with Pyongyang is its own affair. This agreement was established by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June.
On the same day, Russia’s State Duma or lower house of parliament gave its approval to the treaty, which permits “military and other forms of support” from one nation to the other. The agreement enhances the collaboration between the two nations, including a provision stating that if one party is attacked and enters a state of war, the other is obliged to “immediately provide military and other forms of support with all resources available.”
The interpretation of this clause is still unclear. However, both South Korea and the US have recently claimed to have proof that North Korean troops are in Russia, apparently engaged in training drills.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on October 23, stated that the evidence of North Korea dispatching troops to Russia was the subsequent move after Pyongyang supplied Moscow with weaponry.
According to Austin, analysts are still evaluating the situation. However, Pyongyang, which has denied the allegations, could face repercussions for directly assisting Russia.
On October 24, Pentagon representative Sabrina Singh echoed Austin’s remarks, disclosing to reporters in a briefing that the US military has evidence of North Korean troops traveling to Russia. Singh stated that their exact activities are still uncertain, but their presence underscores Russia’s desperation and shows Putin’s strategic objectives on the battleground have been unsuccessful.
Last week, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that it had monitored the movements of North Korean military units from October 8 to October 13. It had obtained images of these units being transported to Russian territory via a Russian vessel, marking the first time since 1990 that a Russian Navy ship had been detected entering North Korean waters.
Speculation about North Korea’s involvement in the conflict has increased in light of signs of strengthening ties between Moscow and countries like North Korea and Iran, nearly 32 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US military think tank based in Washington, recently reported that several thousand North Korean troops had arrived in Russia and were being prepared for deployment in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has previously dismissed South Korea’s claims that Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with artillery shells and short-range missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on October 14 that North Korean assistance to Russia “is no longer just about transferring weapons.”
