Can North Korea provide 11,000-12,000 troops to support Russia, and is it sustainable?

Defense Express reported the information.

North Korea has reportedly dispatched 11,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia, where they are currently training in the Far East. A video has surfaced showing North Korean soldiers receiving Russian uniforms and weapons. Both Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence agencies have confirmed the transfer, citing troop numbers of 11,000 and 12,000, respectively.

Defense Express highlights that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously addressed the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia, a claim echoed by the head of South Korea's Defense Ministry in a report to parliament. However, as of October 17, the Pentagon has not been able to confirm this information.

The training of these troops is expected to be brief, with an estimated completion date of November 1 this year. This situation raises concerns about North Korea's capability to send 11,000 to 12,000 troops to the Russian military.

With a population of 26 million, North Korea maintains a peacetime army of 1.28 million personnel, which includes 88,000 elite Special Operations Forces. The military is primarily composed of conscripts, with men serving 10-12 years and women serving for 5 years. In the event of a full-scale war, North Korea could mobilize an additional 6 million people. Recently, signs of mobilization have emerged, as Pyongyang reported that 1.4 million citizens volunteered amid escalating tensions with South Korea.

Thus, deploying 12,000 troops would only constitute 0.9% of North Korea's regular army and 0.2% of its total reserves. This indicates that North Korea could realistically send these forces to Russia on a permanent basis after a few weeks of additional training. While this arrangement may resemble a trade of "cannon fodder," it makes strategic sense for both nuclear-armed authoritarian regimes.

“At the same time, the real risk of North Korea becoming a manpower supplier to Russia depends heavily on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, where all signs point to an escalating conflict between the Koreas,” Defense Express concluded.