Chance for South Korea to end division once and for all: Azov Chief of Staff Krotevych on DPRK troops in Ukraine

Krotevych published the post on the social network X.

"North Korea has sent its most capable troops to the war in Ukraine. This is a chance for South Korea to end the division artificially created by the Soviet communist regime since 1945 once and for all. It is also a chance for the whole of East Asia to protect itself from a neighbour with a nuclear button," he wrote.

Military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK

On October 4, Kyiv Post reported that a missile strike in the occupied Donetsk region killed 20 soldiers, including six North Korean military personnel who were consulting Russian forces.

South Korean Defense Minister warned on October 8 that North Korea may be preparing to send troops to Ukraine in support of Russia.

At a press conference in Brussels on October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia is planning to train 10,000 North Korean soldiers for deployment to the war in Ukraine.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, reported that around 11,000 North Korean infantrymen are already stationed in eastern Russia, undergoing training to participate in combat operations in Ukraine. He noted that a first unit of 2,600 soldiers is set to move to Kursk, where Ukraine has established a foothold.

Ukraine later provided NATO with intelligence on North Korean military involvement in the war, requesting further data from alliance members.

On October 19, it was revealed that North Korea has sent 1,500 special forces to Russian territory. However, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that he could not yet confirm North Korea’s deployment of troops to assist Russia in the war against Ukraine.