North Korea bolsters Russian forces with artillery and troops

North Korea is supplying artillery to the Russian Federation, including howitzers and rocket systems. Approximately 11,000 soldiers from North Korea are stationed in Russia's Kursk region, actively participating in military operations.

During a closed parliamentary committee meeting in Seoul, intelligence representatives (NIS) informed that North Korea had delivered self-propelled 170 mm caliber guns and 240 mm multi-launch rocket systems to Russia. This information was conveyed by South Korean lawmaker Lee Sung-kweun.

Lee Sung-kweun emphasized that according to intelligence assessments, Pyongyang was likely obligated to also provide training personnel. North Korean military personnel were expected to train Russian soldiers on using the new equipment.

Until now, it was reported that North Korea was supplying Russia with 152 mm caliber artillery shells. NIS estimates that Pyongyang delivered about 20,000 containers, capable of holding up to 9.4 million such shells, as revealed at the end of October.

NIS also determined that approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers underwent acclimatization training in Russia's Far East and were transferred to the Kursk region bordering Ukraine at the end of October. These soldiers were integrated into Russian airborne units and the marine corps, where they are undergoing tactical and anti-drone training.

Due to North Korean troops' active involvement in direct combat operations, intelligence services are trying to obtain detailed information. They aim to determine the scope of operations and the extent of losses these forces suffer.

NIS representatives expressed concern that in the case of a prolonged war, Russia's dependence on North Korea's assistance might increase. As noted by the South Korean news agency Yonhap, this could prompt Russia to transfer to its ally "technologies that should not be shared."