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North Korea plans to send 30,000 more troops to support Russia in Ukraine, tripling its current deployment. Satellite imagery suggests troop movement has begun.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korea is preparing to send up to 30,000 additional troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, tripling its current deployment and marking a dramatic escalation in Pyongyang’s military involvement, CNN reported citing intelligence assessment by Ukrainian officials.
The reinforcements, expected to arrive over the coming months, would significantly boost the 11,000 North Korean troops already deployed to the frontlines, who were first reported to have arrived last fall. Of that original contingent, approximately 4,000 were killed or wounded, according to Western intelligence estimates. Despite the high casualty rate, military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has since intensified.
What Ukraine Intel Said On North Korean Soldiers In Russia?
The Ukrainian assessment noted that the Russian defense ministry is fully capable of supplying the North Korean forces with “needed equipment, weapons and ammunition” and anticipates “further integration into Russian combat units”. It noted that there is a strong likelihood the incoming soldiers will participate in large-scale offensives in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
“There is a great possibility the North Korean troops will be engaged in combat… to strengthen the Russian contingent, including during the large-scale offensive operations,” the document states.
Troop Movement Already Underway?
Satellite imagery reviewed by CNN and the UK-based Open Source Centre showed signs that troop movement has already begun. Cargo planes- possibly IL-76 aircraft previously used for deployments- were spotted taxiing at North Korea’s Sunan airport on June 4. Separately, a Ropucha-class Russian landing ship, known for transporting hundreds of troops, docked at Dunai port in May, the same vessel type linked to earlier deployments.
“Satellite imagery shows a Russian personnel carrier arriving at Dunai in May, and activity at Sunan airport in May and June,” Joe Byrne, a senior analyst at the Open Source Centre, said, adding, “This appears to indicate the routes previously used to move DPRK troops are active, and could be used in any large-scale future transfer of personnel.”
Ukraine On Alert
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov expressed concern over the growing foreign troop presence, warning that Kim Jong Un was risking domestic political stability by committing so many forces to a distant war.
“Russia’s use of elite North Korean troops demonstrates not only a growing reliance on totalitarian regimes but also serious problems with its mobilization reserve,” Rustem Umerov said, adding, “Together with our partners, we are monitoring these threats and will respond accordingly.”
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