What You Need to Know: As Russia struggles in its war against Ukraine, Moscow has turned to North Korea to bolster its depleted forces. Intelligence from South Korea and Ukraine suggests that thousands of North Koreans may now be serving in Russian units, though it is unclear whether they are military personnel or civilians.

-Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to commit war crimes with impunity, including the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Russia's war crimes are compounded by recent reports of the use of chemical weapons, marking the first such use in Europe since World War I.

-South Korea has threatened to arm Ukraine in response.

Russia Faces Backlash Over Alleged North Korean Fighters in Ukraine

The Russian military might be making some progress in parts of the contact line, but Moscow is turning to North Korea to replenish its casualties.  

Moreover, Russian units continue to commit war crimes with brutal irregularity.  

North Koreans in Russian Service  

Over the past few days, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence have been reporting that Moscow and Pyongyang have agreed about North Korean citizens serving in the Russian forces and fighting in Ukraine.  

Given that both parties are trying to keep it secret, it is not apparent how many North Koreans are in Russian service. But it is safe to say that there are at least a few thousand. 

It is yet unclear if the North Koreans are part of Pyongyang’s military or just civilians. However, there are legal and practical loopholes, for example, “resigning” from the military to join as civilians that Moscow can take advantage of.  

“Russia appears to be scrambling to reduce tensions with South Korea following credible reports of intensified North Korean cooperation with Russia, including South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence warnings that a contingent of North Korean troops has deployed for training to Russia,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest operational update of the war.  

The South Korean government has sought explanations from Moscow, and the Kremlin seems eager to bring the tone of the discussion down. Seoul has openly threatened to send weaponry to Ukraine in response to North Koreans fighting in Ukraine. Kremlin officials have stated that the potential presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine should not cause concern and that the accounts are contradictory. Here, Moscow is relying on its usual distracting and lying techniques to deny facts.  

“The Kremlin's apparent desire to assure South Korea that its cooperation with North Korea is not a threat to Seoul suggests that the Kremlin remains very concerned about the prospect of Seoul's potential pivot towards providing Ukraine with necessary military support, and the implications of worsened relations with Seoul for Russian security interests in the Asia-Pacific region,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed.  

Russian War Crimes  

Meanwhile, the Russian forces continue to perpetrate war crimes regularly. Footage from the ground shows that Ukrainian officials state that Russian units execute Ukrainian prisoners of war with brutal regularity.  

“The apparent systematic perpetration of war crimes throughout the entire theater suggests that Russian forces continue to operate at a low level of discipline and that Russian field commanders are doing nothing to prevent their subordinates from engaging in such criminal behaviors, or may even be encouraging them,” the Institute for the Study of War stated.  

The Kremlin hasn’t announced any disciplinary measures for units and individuals who step out of line, thus implicitly endorsing war crimes and criminal behavior. Of course, that is not surprising behavior from the Kremlin since the whole war in Ukraine is an illegal invasion against another country.  

Moscow was also recently sanctioned for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian positions. This is the first time since World War One that chemical weapons have been used in force against a combatant.  

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 the 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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