U.S. confirms North Korean soldiers in Russia amid Ukraine conflict
According to South Korea, the totalitarian communist regime in Pyongyang has sent over 3,000 military personnel to Russia to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
In response, communist North Korea has dismissed this involvement as "baseless rumours," while Kyiv is calling for the surrender of any North Korean fighters found on its territory.
Currently, there is no indication that North Korean soldiers are actively fighting in Ukraine, and Pyongyang denies any involvement of its troops in the conflict. However, South Korean sources report that some of these soldiers are already in Russia and are expected to be deployed to the Ukrainian front. Despite this, the White House issued a statement on Wednesday evening, cautioning that North Korean soldiers would become "legitimate targets" if deployed to Ukraine.
The deployment of North Korean soldiers on Russian territory is no longer in doubt. On Wednesday, October 23, the United States announced, for the first time, concrete evidence of the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia, potentially for deployment in the Ukraine war. "We have proof that North Korean troops have gone to [...] Russia," stated U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. While U.S. officials had previously been unable to confirm these reports, this announcement marked Washington's first mention of such evidence. A senior U.S. official further clarified that "thousands of North Korean soldiers are in Russia for training," adding that the United States "is uncertain of their mission or if they will join the war in Ukraine."
According to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if the reports of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine prove accurate, and North Korea is indeed supporting Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine with troops, "this would be a serious breach of international law." Such support "directly threatens Germany's security and European peace," according to Berlin. A Washington source commented that if thousands of North Korean troops join the conflict in Ukraine, it will signal an escalation of chaos caused by [Vladimir] Putin’s war against Ukraine.
The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, announced that North Korean soldiers are expected to arrive on Wednesday in Russia's Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border. This is an area where Russian forces have gradually regained control over recent weeks, retaking hundreds of square kilometres abandoned by Russian troops following a surprise Ukrainian offensive launched at the start of August.
An Additional 1,500 Soldiers
Last week, Pyongyang had already deployed "significant forces" – 1,500 soldiers – to Russia. As of Wednesday, based on South Korean intelligence, North Korea has sent an additional 1,500 soldiers. This move brings the total contingent to 3,000, according to Park Sun-won, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, following a briefing with the National Intelligence Service. Park added that roughly 10,000 North Korean soldiers are expected to be deployed in Russia by December.
Unfounded Rumour
Russia, accused by Seoul, Kyiv, and Washington of hosting North Korean soldiers on its soil, urged the public to "ask Pyongyang" about the soldiers’ whereabouts. "Where are the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and where are they located? Please ask Pyongyang!" responded Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press briefing, describing the claim as "media fabrication."
North Korea has denied supplying Russia with troops for its offensive in Ukraine, according to a Pyongyang representative at the United Nations, who went so far as to call the claim an "unfounded rumour" spread by a neighbouring country. Seoul summoned the Russian ambassador to South Korea on Monday to demand the "immediate" withdrawal of North Korean soldiers sent to Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukraine on Wednesday requested the surrender of any North Korean fighter found on its territory. "You should not die without reason in a foreign country," reads a message from Ukraine’s military intelligence service, directed at any North Korean “fighter” who may have been sent by Russia to Ukrainian soil. "Do not suffer the same fate as the hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who will never return home!" states the message, translated into Korean.
"Hand yourselves in as prisoners of war! Ukraine will shelter, feed, and provide warmth for you!" the message continues. This message is part of the "I Want to Live" project, which offers a hotline and a chatbot on Telegram to assist Russian soldiers who wish to surrender.
After nearly three years of war, Ukraine faces a critical military situation, with its troops retreating on the eastern front for several months. The Russian army, larger and better-armed, claims regular advances, particularly in the Donetsk region.
Russia also continues to bombard Ukrainian cities and regions almost daily, taking advantage of Ukraine’s insufficient air defence systems.
In Brussels, a NATO spokesperson stated that Alliance members "have confirmed evidence of North Korean troop deployments in Russia." NATO officials described this deployment as "a significant escalation of North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war."
Author: Dan Alexe
Translation by Iurie Tataru
