Russia’s use of North Korean troops signals mobilization struggles - journalist

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

“Regarding reports of North Korean soldiers being involved in the war on Russia's side, what does it mean? I tend to agree with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s view that this shows Russia has no mobilization potential. In other words, there aren’t enough people willing to be lured into war with Ukraine for money. Russia does have mobilization potential, but that would require declaring a draft and conscripting people without pay. That’s a completely different story, as we saw how many people left Russia when partial mobilization was announced. If they declare mobilization now and close the borders—this applies to any country—a large number of people will simply flee. I have no doubt about that," Portnikov explained.

According to the journalist, the Kremlin is doing everything it can to avoid declaring mobilization in Russia.

"And if that happens, it will immediately impact the economy. In such cases, the first to leave are people who know they can survive in other countries. These people are also key contributors to the budget, which is why Putin is eager to prevent this. If reports about North Korean soldiers replacing Russians in the Kursk region are true, it would also be a logical step for the Kremlin. They don’t want to divert reserves from other fronts," he added.

What is known

On October 4, the Kyiv Post reported that a missile strike on the occupied territory of Donetsk region killed 20 soldiers. Among them, in particular, were six soldiers from the DPRK who were consulting with the Russian army.

On October 8, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun warned that North Korea could send its troops to Ukraine to support Russia.
 

At a press conference in Brussels on October 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians plan to train 10,000 North Korean troops and involve them in the war in Ukraine.

Chief of the Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said that there are about 11,000 North Korean infantrymen in eastern Russia who are being trained to participate in hostilities in Ukraine. According to him, the first unit of 2,600 soldiers will go to Kursk, where Ukraine has established a foothold.

Ukraine has provided the North Atlantic Alliance with intelligence information on the participation of North Korean troops in the war on the side of Russia and asked NATO countries to provide Kyiv with relevant data.