Military expert on North Korean army units that Russia wants most

Selezniov shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

"The DPRK’s engineering and technical units are among the best globally. North Korea's territory is heavily fortified with defense structures, which means their engineering teams have years of hands-on experience building reliable fortifications. This expertise would be highly useful to the Russians, as they always start constructing new defenses whenever they secure new positions," Selezniov explained.

The expert emphasized that North Korea’s military capabilities shouldn’t be underestimated.

"While we’ll only truly gauge the impact of DPRK special forces in Ukraine over time, any addition of North Korean troops to the Russian army could influence the battlefield. For instance, in the Kursk region, many thought the Russians needed over 50,000 troops to push Ukrainian forces back, but they launched with about 40,000, and their counteroffensive stalled. Adding 12,000 North Korean soldiers could significantly shift the dynamics in Kursk," he added.

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.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that on October 23, the North Korean military was spotted in the Kursk region.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that according to intelligence, the first North Korean military would be used by Russia in combat zones on October 27-28.

On October 25, South Korea's intelligence agency announced that North Korea plans to send a second batch of its military personnel to Russia, totaling up to 10,000 people.