Putin has chosen right time to use North Korean troops at front - military observer

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"Putin has very skillfully chosen the window of opportunity to involve North Korean troops in combat. Right now, the U.S. is preparing for elections, so the Kremlin decided to take advantage of this opportunity to introduce a new player into the Russia-Ukraine war in the form of North Korea. By the way, this window of opportunity is quite broad. Once the U.S. elections conclude on November 5, and it becomes clear who the new president will be, that leader still needs to assume office, which will take a few more months. So, the Kremlin has about three months to observe the impact of involving North Korean troops in this war," explained Popovych.

The analyst also noted that the deployment of North Korean troops to the front line could affect certain areas of the fighting.

"As for the statements about breaking through the front. If the North Korean troops number over 12,000, but not much more, this could have an impact on a specific section of the front. However, they won't be able to break through the entire front. At least, I wouldn't rush to such conclusions. Moreover, it's still unclear what kind of troops these are. Yes, indeed, these forces shouldn't be underestimated. At the moment, there is no clear understanding of their capabilities and skills," 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.