Military expert comments on North Korean soldiers in Russia

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko writes on his Telegram channel.

Kovalenko notes that recent reports of 20 North Korean soldiers, including six officers, being killed in Russia have reignited discussions about sending North Korean troops to the war in Ukraine. However, it is important to mention that North Korean and Iranian military personnel have long been present in the Russian army as instructors and for experience exchange, as the KN-23 systems do not operate independently.

Last summer, in June, there was a wave of discussions about sending several North Korean engineering brigades to Ukraine. Ultimately, they did not arrive, although it would have made sense given the pressing issues faced by the engineering troops in the Russian army.

The expert emphasizes that, regarding combat units - particularly the assault troops - Putin's need for personnel remains a priority, even with ongoing mobilization that not only compensates for monthly losses but also allows for increases. In the coming months, especially in 2025, the Russian forces will be significantly bolstered by personnel.

Therefore, the emergence of combat units, even without full technical staffing, is also quite logical, though more problematic than that of engineering brigades.

The language barrier can be overcome on an individual level, but it becomes more challenging at the group level. With an engineering brigade, it's simpler - just outline the range of tasks: mine the area, build fortifications, evacuate damaged equipment, feed the company cat. However, it's more complex with combat units, as communication must be constant due to the intensity of combat operations, and coordination is a matter of survival.

“Under such conditions, it would be logical to deploy North Korean units in rear or border areas to relieve, for example, the Kursk or Belgorod groupings, or in temporarily occupied territories to perform tasks in the rear,” Kovalenko says.

On the other hand, the acute need for personnel, amid the increase in infantry components in 2025, may compel the deployment of these forces to the front lines, but in specific locations where they will be the sole units carrying out assigned tasks.

“In any case, North Korean military forces have not yet been verified as full-fledged combat formations within the Russian army. If this occurs, international partners should reassess their approaches and attitudes toward the war in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian people are confronting not only Putin's totalitarian regime but also Kim Jong Un. Direct military intervention by North Korea in the war in Ukraine would pose a threat not only to our country but also to the entire civilized world, which has long faced a coalition of rogue states that, unfortunately, have much higher effectiveness in cooperation and mutual assistance,” the military expert concludes.