Kim Jong Un stands alongside Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine. Thousands of North Korean soldiers are training in Russia, and many of them are already in Ukraine, fighting alongside Russian troops.
The alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow is becoming increasingly solid, as highlighted by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S. think tank that monitors the conflict daily. ISW notes in its latest report that North Korean soldiers are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, having undergone training in Russia before their deployment.
The report also cites a Ukrainian military intelligence official who claims that some North Korean officers are present in Ukraine and Russian-occupied areas. However, Ukraine has not detected any North Korean military units actively operating in the country.
The Ukrainian official allegedly added that “several thousand” North Korean infantrymen are training in Russia and that the Russian military command might deploy them on the front lines in Ukraine by the end of 2024 or station them along Russia’s borders to relieve Russian reservists, allowing them to fight in Ukraine, according to ISW.
South Korean and Ukrainian officials have indicated that North Korean military personnel are likely operating in the occupied areas of Donetsk Oblast. It is also believed that a Ukrainian missile strike near the city of Donetsk killed several North Korean military officials.
Russia’s potential deployment of North Korean forces to the front lines and the number of troops stationed along the border to free up Russian forces remain unclear. However, ISW emphasized that these scenarios could result in the deployment of more Russian personnel to priority offensive operations in Ukraine, thereby extending the peak of Russia’s summer 2024 offensive.
The deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine could provide Russia with an opportunity, depending on factors such as the quality, organization, positioning, and ability of North Korean forces to collaborate effectively with Russian troops.
On June 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that includes mutual assistance in the event of aggression against either state. Meanwhile, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik reported that North Korean ammunition production facilities are working at full capacity to supply arms to Russia.
The United States also stated that it has information, confirmed by satellite images, showing that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of ammunition to Russia. In mid-June, Shin Won-sik announced that North Korea had sent at least 10,000 containers by sea to Russia, capable of holding up to 4.8 million artillery shells.
