Wagner PMC replacement: Portnykov on potential arrival of North Korean troops to Ukraine

Journalist Vitaly Portnykov discussed this on the Espreso TV channel.

“North Korea could send part of its military to fight in Ukraine. This is entirely possible since Kim Jong-un regularly uses his people for forced labor. Now, he might as well send them to Russia’s armed forces if it’s a paying job. But should we see this as bad news? If Russia had enough troops, they wouldn’t need North Koreans in this war,” he said.

Portnykov compared the potential arrival of North Korean troops to the deployment of Wagner units.

“They basically created a solid structure out of cannon fodder — people you can throw into the fight without caring about the death toll or public backlash. Some joined Wagner for the money, while others, particularly convicts, saw it as a chance to redeem themselves. It was seen as great."

“But after the whole mess with Prigozhin, Wagner’s founder, and his failed uprising, it became clear the idea wasn’t sustainable. A PMC like Wagner creates a separate power center, even if it’s part of the government’s system. It’s like the difference between a state-owned enterprise and a private one — it might seem under your control, but in a place like Russia, the owner could have their own interests. That’s what happened with Prigozhin. And when a private business owner is linked to the government, they can often see the inefficiencies in the state apparatus, which the state doesn’t appreciate,” he added.

With Wagner out of the picture, the Russians now need a replacement—and maybe they’ve chosen North Korean troops.

“No one in Russia would care how many North Koreans die. In fact, Russians would probably prefer it. And in North Korea, no one would bat an eye either. Sure, the international community might react, slap 10 more sanctions on North Korea, but it wouldn’t matter. North Korea is economically tied to China, and it collaborates with Russia and Iran. We’re talking about economies that are largely cut off from the West and rely on China. The West can’t do much. They can issue statements, condemn Kim Jong-un, but he’s a serious player, and he has nuclear weapons. The West is essentially powerless in this situation,” Portnykov concluded.

• On October 12, the Washington Post reported that thousands of North Korean troops are currently being trained in Russia and may join the war in Ukraine by the end of the year.