North Korean troops are in occupied Ukraine, according to Western intelligence services.  

Reports until this point suggested that the Kremlin would only deploy North Korean troops in the Kursk Oblast, Russia, to fend off the Ukrainian forces there.  

The fact that some of the approximately 10,000 North Koreans are operating within occupied Ukrainian territory threatens the conflict with further escalation.  

North Koreans in Russian Service  

Earlier in October, South Korean and Western intelligence services declassified intelligence, showing that the Kremlin had recruited several thousand North Korean troops to fight on its behalf in the conflict in Ukraine.  

Moscow shares a close relationship with Pyongyang, which only became stronger with the war in Ukraine. During the approximately 1,000 days of the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has had to repeatedly ask his North Korean counterpart for military assistance. Pyongyang has sent artillery shells, armored personnel carriers, multiple launch rocket systems, and other military hardware to Moscow. 

But now Russia needs more.  

But how did Moscow come to this? Why does it risk further escalation of the conflict just for some thousands of North Korean troops? The simple answer is because of the extremely heavy attrition. The Russian forces are taking heavy casualties. Currently, the Russian military averages approximately 1,300 casualties every day. And that rate of casualties has been going on for almost six months now, resulting in over 120,000 losses during that timeframe. 

Overall, the Russian forces have lost around 700,000 men killed or wounded since the large-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022. That is an average of about 715 men, or an infantry battalion, killed or wounded every day.  

So, North Korean troops will provide a much-needed manpower boost to a pressured Russian military. And once the door is open, more troops can come.  

North Koreans in Ukraine  

According to the Western intelligence officials, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, North Korean troops are inside occupied Ukraine. Although the Western intelligence officials didn’t specify the location and roles of the North Korean troops, this is the first Western confirmation that North Korean troops are actively engaged in the fighting.  

The Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence services provided more information on the location and role of the North Korean troops. The two intelligence services reported that there are North Korean troops in Donetsk City, occupied by the Russian forces, and are providing logistical support to the Russian military. Although it is still not certain that North Korean troops are actively engaged in the fighting inside Ukraine, their presence on the battlefield alone is enough to further escalate the conflict.  

South Korea is now likely to send more military aid to Ukraine. Moreover, Kyiv will now have more arguments to make in its favor concerning permission to use Western long-range munitions, such as the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Storm Shadow cruise missile, against high-value military targets inside Russia.  

About the Author

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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