DPRK sends 3,000 troops to Russia — South Korean lawmakers

Reuters reported the information, citing South Korean parliamentarians.

The number of 3,000 North Korean troops was reported following an announcement by South Korea's national intelligence service, which stated that Pyongyang had sent approximately 1,500 personnel to Russia.

According to Seoul lawmakers, the DPRK is to send about 10,000 troops to Russia, the deployment of which is expected to be completed by December.

“Signs of troops being trained inside North Korea were detected in September and October. It appears that the troops have now been dispersed to multiple training facilities in Russia and are adapting to the local environment,” Park Sun-won, a member of a parliamentary intelligence committee, said.

At the same time, another South Korean lawmaker, Lee Seong-kweun, said that Pyongyang is trying not to disclose information about sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

"There are also signs of North Korean authorities relocating and isolating those families in a certain place in order to effectively control them and thoroughly crack down on the rumours.”

The lawmaker also emphasized that the intelligence agency had confirmed this: Moscow has hired a large number of interpreters for the DPRK military to teach them how to use military equipment, including drones.

"Russian instructors are assessing that the North Korean military has excellent physical attributes and morale but lacks understanding of modern warfare such as drone attacks," he added.

According to Lee, the DPRK, in response to sending soldiers to Russia, may ask Moscow for its prompt intervention in case of unforeseen circumstances on the Korean Peninsula, as well as economic assistance.

Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea

On October 4, the Kyiv Post reported that 20 soldiers were killed in a missile strike on occupied Donetsk, including six North Korean military personnel advising the Russian army.

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

At an October 17 press conference in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed Russia's plan to train 10,000 North Korean soldiers for combat in Ukraine.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, later reported that 11,000 North Korean infantrymen are training in eastern Russia, preparing for deployment to Ukraine. He added that the first unit of 2,600 soldiers is en route to Kursk, where Ukraine has established a stronghold.

Ukraine has since shared intelligence with NATO about North Korea’s military involvement and requested data from alliance members.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the participation of the North Korean military in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia would mean a “significant escalation.” 

Later, it was reported that South Korea was considering providing Ukraine with military and intelligence assistance in response to North Korea's sending its military to fight on the side of Russia.