North Korea Sending Troops To Aid Russia In War Against Ukraine: South Korean Intelligence Agency

Seoul: South Korea's spy agency on Friday said that North Korea has sent its troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine, a development that could bring a third country into the war and intensify a standoff between North Korea and the West.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has stated that Russian naval ships transported 1,500 special operations forces from North Korea to Vladivostok between October 8 and October 13. Additional North Korean troops are anticipated to be sent to Russia soon.

According to the NIS, these North Korean soldiers have been provided with Russian military uniforms, weapons, and counterfeit identification documents. They are currently stationed at military bases in Vladivostok and other locations such as Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk, where they are expected to undergo adaptation training before being deployed to combat zones.

North Korea Sending Troops To Aid Russia In War Against Ukraine

The NIS shared satellite images and other photos on its website that reportedly show Russian naval activities near a North Korean port, as well as mass gatherings of North Koreans in Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk over the past week.

South Korean media, citing the NIS, have suggested that North Korea plans to send a total of 12,000 troops organized into four brigades to Russia, though the NIS has not yet confirmed this information.

If confirmed, this would mark North Korea's first significant involvement in a foreign conflict. Despite having one of the world's largest militaries with 1.2 million personnel, North Korea's forces lack extensive combat experience.

Many experts question how much the North Korean troop dispatch would help Russia, citing North Korea's outdated equipment and shortage of battle experience. Experts also said that North Korea likely received Russian promises to provide security support over the intense confrontations over its advancing nuclear programme with the US and South Korea, news agency AP reported. 

Russia and North Korea Signed Mutual Military Assistance Pact

During a meeting in Pyongyang in June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact stipulating mutual military assistance if either country is attacked, in what was considered the two countries' biggest defence deal since the end of the Cold War.

South Korea's presidential office said in a statement that President Yoon Suk Yeol had presided over an emergency meeting earlier Friday to discuss North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia. The statement said participants of the meeting agreed that North Korea's troop dispatch poses a grave security threat to South Korea and the international community.

Russia Had Denied Involvement of North Korean Troops

Russia has denied using North Korean troops in the war, with Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing the claims as “another piece of fake news” during a news conference last week, according to Russia media.

Ukrainian media reported earlier this month that six North Koreans were among those killed after a Ukrainian missile strike in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region on October 3.

Ukraine Claims North Korean Troops Fighting For Russia

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government has intelligence that 10,000 troops from North Korea are being prepared to join Russian forces fighting against his country, warning that a third nation wading into the hostilities could turn the conflict into a “world war.”

 “From our intelligence we've got information that North Korea sent tactical personnel and officers to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told reporters at NATO headquarters. “They are preparing on their land 10,000 soldiers, but they didn't move them already to Ukraine or to Russia.” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the western alliance “have no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight. But we do know that North Korea is supporting Russia in many ways, weapons supplies, technological supplies, innovation, to support them in the war effort. And that is highly worrying.” 

(With inputs from AP)