North Korean troops prepare for potential deployment in Ukraine
Several thousand soldiers from North Korea are undergoing training in Russia. They may be sent to the front lines in Ukraine before the end of the year, reported the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
As reported on Friday by "The Washington Post," officials from South Korea and Ukraine stated that Kim Jong Un's soldiers are already operating alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
A representative of the Ukrainian military intelligence said that some North Korean officers are monitoring Russian troops and studying the battlefield in Russian-occupied territories. However, Ukrainians have not yet seen North Korean soldiers deployed on the front lines. This includes the Donetsk region, among others.
Will North Korean soldiers reach the front?
Several thousand soldiers from North Korea are undergoing training in Russia, and the Russian military command may deploy them to the front lines in Ukraine or to border areas by the end of 2024. This move aims to free up Russian "reserves" for fighting on Ukrainian territory, warned the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its latest report.
ISW recalled that in a recent missile attack by Ukrainian forces in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, North Korean officers were killed.
In June, Russia and North Korea signed a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership. The agreement, concluded on Wednesday by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, contains a mutual defence clause under which both sides are to support each other in the event of foreign aggression.
