North Korea Expected to Deploy Up to 30,000 Additional Troops to Support Russia

Reports have emerged suggesting that North Korea is expected to send up to 30,000 additional troops to support Russia.

On the 2nd (local time), CNN reported, citing an analysis from Ukrainian intelligence authorities, that "North Korea is pushing for a plan to dispatch an additional 25,000 to 30,000 troops to Russia, which is currently at war with Ukraine, and this additional force could arrive in Russia within months." CNN further indicated that "there are signs that Russian military aircraft are being modified to transport North Korean troops."

This move would mark a significant change following the initial deployment of over 11,000 combat troops last October, potentially influencing the dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Satellite images obtained by CNN showed vessels of the same type used for transporting North Korean troops arriving at the Dunai military port near Vladivostok, Russia, on May 18 of last year. Additionally, transport aircraft believed to be Ilyushin (IL)-76 were spotted at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport on the 4th of last month.

Regarding these movements, CNN analyzed that they are likely preparations for the additional deployment of North Korean troops, and that some forces may already be in transit.

Ukrainian intelligence authorities expect that North Korean troops will participate in combat in territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia, reinforcing Russian forces and being deployed for large-scale offensive operations.

Experts Analyze Deployment Scale and Intentions

Some experts have suggested that the number of 25,000 to 30,000 North Korean troops anticipated by Ukraine could be somewhat exaggerated.

Jenny Town, a senior analyst at the Stimson Center in the United States, stated, "North Korea has the capability to provide that many troops, but they likely won’t be elite forces," adding, "It depends on what Kim Jong-un has been requested by Russia." She further assessed, "10,000 to 20,000 seems more realistic."

Town also mentioned that "there are rumors that Russian generals have already trained troops in North Korea," indicating that the deployment of North Korean troops goes beyond simple manpower support and is part of a systematic military cooperation.

This large-scale deployment movement has become evident following recent high-level contacts between the two countries.

On the 17th of last month, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, after which North Korea announced it would send a total of 6,000 engineers and military construction personnel to assist in the recovery efforts in Russia's Kursk region.

The National Intelligence Service predicts that North Korea's additional troop deployment to Russia may occur as early as July or August, which aligns with the timeline reported by Ukrainian intelligence authorities as stated by CNN.

Meanwhile, on the 30th of last month, North Korean state television KCTV aired footage of Kim Jong-un mourning the fallen North Korean troops at a repatriation ceremony for their remains.

This included images of Kim gently touching the coffin of one fallen soldier while appearing somber and emotional.

Image source: Video released by the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security under the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, which shows soldiers presumed to be North Korean lined up to receive Russian supplies / spravdi website, airbus, cnn (planet labs), KCTV.