North Korea Allegedly Sends Troops to Russia Amid Ukraine Conflict

North Korea has reportedly dispatched 1,500 special forces troops to Russia, according to South Korea‘s National Intelligence Service (NIS). In a statement issued on Friday, the NIS outlined the movement of these troops, marking a potential military involvement by North Korea in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

The NIS stated that the North Korean soldiers were transported via a Russian naval transport ship and were equipped with Russian military uniforms and weapons. Additionally, they were provided with forged identification documents suggesting their origin from Siberian regions, which allegedly resemble North Korean citizens.

The deployment of these troops is said to have occurred in the port city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia, situated near the borders of China and North Korea. The NIS highlighted that the soldiers are expected to be sent to the front lines post their acclimatization training.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency security meeting to assess the implications of North Korea’s potential involvement in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A statement from the meeting described the alliance between Russia and North Korea as a significant security threat, expressing a commitment to collaborate with the international community in response.

Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have seemingly strengthened in recent months, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signing a strategic partnership agreement in June. This deal included a pledge of mutual defense should either country come under attack.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised alarms over an imminent threat posed by North Korean involvement. He claimed that intelligence suggests 10,000 North Korean troops are being prepared to join the Russian forces in Ukraine.

The United States has also expressed concern, with State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller indicating that North Korean participation would signify a deepening of Russia and North Korea’s military relationship.

Despite these reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed claims of North Korean troop involvement as “fake news.” Nevertheless, Ukrainian media reported the death of six North Korean individuals in a missile strike on October 3, fuelling speculations about North Korean involvement in the conflict.