North Korea's involvement in war against Ukraine will not change situation - Estonian intelligence

ERR writes about it.

According to Kiviselg, Russia's involvement of DPRK troops in the war in Ukraine demonstrates Moscow's problems in maintaining intense hostilities.

‘Public reports say that the number of North Korean units can reach 10,000 soldiers and are currently located in the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation. There are also reports of the creation of a unit of about 3,000 people on the basis of an airborne assault brigade manned by North Koreans, which is likely to operate in the Kursk or Bryansk regions in the future,’ he recalled.

The head of Estonian intelligence said that sending 3,000 to 10,000 North Korean troops to the Ukrainian front ‘will not bring any significant changes on the battlefield’.

‘However, if it continues for a longer period of time, it could play a significant role in future battles,’ Kiviselg added.

At the same time, he noted that the leaderships of the DPRK and Iran, thanks to Russia's assistance, could use Moscow to their advantage.

‘This gives Iran and North Korea the opportunity to demand exclusive security guarantees or technological information from Russia that has remained unavailable until now and which these countries can use in the future,’ the intelligence officer explained, adding that the military will thus gain experience that they can use against their neighbors in their region.

North Korean troops head to fight in Ukraine

On October 4, the Kyiv Post reported that a missile strike on the occupied territory of Ukraine's Donetsk region killed 20 soldiers. Among them, in particular, were six soldiers from the DPRK who were consulting the Russian army.

On Tuesday, October 8, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun warned that North Korea could send its troops to Ukraine in support of Russia.

On October 13, reports indicated that Russia is continuing to strengthen allied relations with North Korea, effectively facilitating the transfer of North Korean military personnel into the ranks of the Russian army.

At a press conference in Brussels on October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia plans to train 10,000 North Korean soldiers and engage them in the war in Ukraine.