In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, North Korea has allegedly deployed 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s far east, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). These troops are reportedly undergoing training and acclimatization at Russian military bases and may soon be deployed for combat in Ukraine. This revelation marks a significant development in the war and raises concerns about the growing military alliance between Russia and North Korea.
North Korean Troops and Military Supplies to Russia
According to the NIS, the deployment of North Korean troops is part of a larger trend of deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. In a statement released on Friday, the South Korean spy agency revealed that, since August last year, North Korea has supplied more than 13,000 containers of weapons and ammunition to Russia. These supplies include artillery rounds, ballistic missiles, and anti-tank rockets, contributing to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
The NIS claimed that over eight million artillery and rocket rounds have been sent from North Korea to Russia, based on remnants of weapons recovered from the battlefront in Ukraine. These shipments have reportedly been used to replenish Russia’s depleting ammunition reserves as the war with Ukraine grinds on into its second year.
“The direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea that has been reported by foreign media has now been officially confirmed,” the NIS said in its statement.
Facial Recognition Technology Used to Identify North Korean Officers
In addition to the deployment of special forces, the NIS disclosed that North Korean military officers have been identified in Russian-occupied regions of eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk. The agency used facial recognition artificial intelligence technology in collaboration with Ukrainian intelligence services to make these identifications.
The North Korean officers are believed to be supporting Russian forces by operating North Korean missiles and assisting with technical glitches during Russia’s missile offensives. While this level of involvement was previously speculated, the NIS claims that its use of advanced AI has confirmed these officers’ presence in the war zone with a high degree of accuracy.
South Korea’s Response to the Growing Threat
The involvement of North Korean troops in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has alarmed South Korea, prompting its government to call an unscheduled security meeting. President Yoon Suk Yeol convened key officials from intelligence, military, and national security agencies to discuss the threat posed by North Korea’s direct involvement in the war.
“The participants … shared the view that the current situation, where Russia and North Korea’s closer ties have gone beyond the movement of military supplies to actual dispatch of troops, is a grave security threat not only to our country but to the international community,” President Yoon’s office said in a statement.
South Korea has vowed to respond to the North’s activities with “all available means,” although it did not specify what measures might be taken. The nation has already taken a firm stance against North Korea’s missile programs and has been closely tracking its military actions in cooperation with its allies, including the United States.
International Reactions and Denials
The news of North Korean troops being deployed to support Russia’s war effort has sparked concern within the international community. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused North Korea on Thursday of not only supplying weapons but also preparing to send as many as 10,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces. While NATO leaders have yet to find concrete evidence of such large-scale troop movements, Zelenskiy’s comments align with South Korean intelligence reports.
NATO officials have been monitoring North Korea’s activities closely. NATO chief Mark Rutte, however, has cautioned that there is no verifiable evidence at this stage that North Korean troops have entered combat in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the mere possibility of North Korea’s involvement has heightened tensions within the region and beyond.
Both Russia and North Korea have officially denied the allegations. The Kremlin has dismissed South Korea’s claims that North Korean troops and military supplies are being funneled to Russia. North Korea, too, has consistently rejected accusations of arms transfers, despite increasing reports from various intelligence agencies.
