The West has supplied Ukraine with military support, including advanced tanks, aircraft, and other hardware. While there have been maybe a few hundred Western volunteers who volunteered to fight for Ukraine, Russia will soon see North Korean soldiers bolstering its ranks.

As many as 3,000 soldiers were sent by Pyongyang as part of the "mutual aid agreement" signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un in June. The exact details of that deal haven't been made public, but the Guardian cited reports that "several thousand North Korean soldiers were being trained in Russia and could be deployed on the frontline by the end of the year," and "That would be in addition to dozens of North Korean technicians who have reportedly been sent to Ukraine to assist in the deployment of exported weapons, including KN-23 ballistic missiles."

What Does North Korea Get?

In exchange for military support, North Korea could receive financial aid and technical support from Russia and gain combat experience. Though North Korea is technically at war with South Korea, it hasn't engaged in actual combat operations since 1953. Ukraine could be a de facto proving ground for its military hardware.

General Charles Flynn, commander of the U.S. Army in the Indo-Pacific said during a recent conference in Washington that the deployment of the North Koreans shouldn't be taken lightly, the Guardian also reported.

"That kind of feedback from a real battlefield to North Korea to be able to make adjustments to their weapons, their ammunition, their capabilities, and even their people – to me, is very concerning," Flynn warned.

However, the training and combat capabilities of the North Koreans are already being questioned. The soldiers may be little more than cannon fodder.

"As a general rule, countries that are doing well (regardless of the endeavour) don’t have to turn to North Korea for help," wrote Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army (Retired) and non-resident fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, on X – the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

But They're Not Fighting

There are already reports that at least 18 of the North Korean soldiers sent to Ukraine have already deserted from the Russian lines. Russian forces are now searching for the deserters – which instead of bolstering its forces, could put a further strain on the Kremlin.

This follows the news that at least six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region earlier this month.

It is unclear if the North Koreans have attempted to reach Ukrainian lines, but it would likely be their only opportunity to escape from the Hermit Kingdom.

Few North Korean citizens are ever allowed to travel abroad and those attempting face harsh punishment. Olympic athletes were subject to a post-games month-long "ideological scrubbing" to remove any foreign influence. Athletes and the handful of others who are allowed to travel outside of North Korea rarely defect for fear of reprisals carried out on their families and even friends.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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