Russian defense minister Belousov visits North Korea

The press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense reported this.

At Sunan International Airport, located on the outskirts of Pyongyang, an official ceremony was held to welcome the Russian delegation, featuring an honor guard of the North Korean People's Army.

At the foot of the aircraft, North Korean Defense Minister, General of the Army No Kwang Chol, greeted the head of the Russian Defense Ministry.

During Belousov's official visit, meetings are planned with North Korea's military and military-political leadership.

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.

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.

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.” 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia is already using North Korean military personnel in Ukraine and that up to 12,000 soldiers from North Korea could be deployed to Russian training grounds.

On October 31, it was reported that North Korea sent three of its generals to Russia, including the deputy chief of the North Korean General Staff, who also heads the state’s main intelligence bureau.

On November 1, President Zelenskyy stated that the first thousands of North Korean soldiers were already near the Ukrainian border. Ukraine's military intelligence revealed that, in the last week of October, Russia transferred over 7,000 North Korean troops from its territory to areas near Ukraine.

Later, Zelenskyy reported that more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers were moved to Russia's Kursk region. On November 5, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the first combat encounter between Ukrainian forces and North Korean troops fighting on the side of the occupiers in the Kursk region.

Chief of the Ukrainian General Staff Anatoliy Barylyevych also confirmed initial clashes with North Korean military personnel.

The Financial Times reported that Ukrainian forces injured a North Korean general in Russia's Kursk region.