Reports Indicate North Korean Soldiers Receiving Training in Russia for Deployment in Ukraine

North Korean soldiers have been reportedly filmed receiving uniforms and equipment at a training ground in Russia’s far east. This development aligns with concerns from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) regarding North Korean military involvement in Ukraine.

A video, shared with CNN by the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security, depicts a line of soldiers, believed to be North Korean, queuing up to collect military attire. The soldiers appear to be speaking Korean, although the video’s audio quality is not clear enough to confirm their speech completely.

Upon their arrival in Russia, these soldiers were required to fill out a questionnaire detailing their measurements for hats, headgear, uniforms, and shoes. The questionnaire features instructions in Russian with size options written in Korean, suggesting a collaboration between the two nations in equipping these troops.

A separate video, verified and geolocated by CNN, shows troops arriving at the Sergeevka Training Ground near Russia’s border with China. A background voice in the footage, speaking Russian, indicates the presence of a significant reinforcement of new troops.

Kyiv has long been apprehensive about North Korea’s involvement in the conflict, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informing NATO leaders of the possible arrival of “thousands” of North Korean troops in Russia. “From intelligence that I have … they are preparing 10,000 soldiers, different soldiers, land forces, technical personnel,” Zelensky stated, describing their involvement as ‘urgent’.

South Korean media have reported an estimated 12,000 troops, although this number was not explicitly confirmed in the NIS’s remarks. Should North Korea proceed with this deployment, it would mark a significant escalation in their participation in international military conflicts, despite the country’s large standing army of 1.2 million soldiers lacking combat experience.

A Ukrainian government spokesperson stated that the video aims to intimidate Ukrainian forces, signifying a new phase in the ongoing conflict. The veracity of the video was partly confirmed by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, although independent verification by the Associated Press was not possible.

Reports from Ukrainian intelligence suggest North Korean troops are currently undergoing training in eastern Russia, with predictions they might partake in the conflict by November. This comes amid growing military ties between Russia and North Korea, following agreements to provide mutual military support.

CNN’s Rob Picheta and Yoonjung Seo, along with contributions from the Associated Press, provided insights and additional reporting on this matter.