What would a North Korean troop surge mean for Ukraine war?
Ukraine is claiming that North Korea is preparing to send tens of thousands more troops to Russia, where they'll gain valuable battlefield experience.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that North Korea is preparing to deploy up to 50,000 troops to Russia to aid Moscow in the ongoing Ukraine war. Zelenskyy noted that Russia had initially requested an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers, before later confirming the deployment of between 30,000 and 50,000 troops.
The Ukrainian leader also expressed concern over North Korea gaining valuable experience in modern warfare and urged South Korea to enhance cooperation with Ukraine on air defense and drones. Analysts believe that around 14,000 to 15,000 troops were initially deployed to Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions in Russia, with an additional 6,000 sappers and military construction workers sent later.
South Korean intelligence estimates that approximately 6,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded. Japan's Kyodo News cited Ukrainian military intelligence, confirming the impending North Korean troop surge. South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon stated that such a large-scale deployment would significantly increase the number of troops compared to the initial deployment.
Former South Korean National Intelligence Service deputy director Han Ki-bum also expressed concern, emphasizing that a large-scale deployment would free up more Russian forces for combat in Ukraine. North Korea's involvement in the war allows the country to gain experience in contemporary warfare while testing weapons in real battlefield conditions.
Some North Korean casualties, estimated at 2,000 out of 6,000, may have been killed, with around 1,000 to 2,000 combat troops and engineers returning home with preferential treatment. Pyongyang has already supplied Russia with millions of artillery rounds and ballistic missiles. Experts believe that North Korea's elite special operations troops, skilled in reconnaissance, surprise attacks, and ambushes, would likely be among the deployed forces.
If 30,000 troops are deployed, they are expected to include infantry, engineers, construction workers, and female medical personnel.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
