China "sees no threat" in Russia-North Korea military cooperation

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said this at a briefing, Ukrinform reports.

"Russia and North Korea are two independent and sovereign states, so the development of their bilateral relations is exclusively the affair of these two countries," he said.

At the same time, the spokesperson for the Chinese diplomatic mission noted that Beijing doesn't know the details of bilateral exchanges and cooperation between Russia and the DPRK.

"China's position on the settlement of the ‘Ukraine crisis’ (as China brands Russia’s war against Ukraine - ed.) remains unchanged. It is about our commitment to the fastest possible de-escalation and political settlement of differences," the spokesperson 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.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that on October 23, the North Korean military was spotted in the Kursk region.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that according to intelligence, the first North Korean military would be used by Russia in combat zones on October 27-28.

On October 25, South Korea's intelligence agency announced that North Korea plans to send a second batch of its military personnel to Russia, totaling up to 10,000 people.

On October 28, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the presence of North Korea's military in the Kursk region of Russia, noting that this is “a significant escalation in the DPRK's ongoing involvement in Russia's illegal war.” 

The Pentagon says that the DPRK has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is already using DPRK military personnel on the territory of Ukraine and that up to 12,000 troops could be deployed to Russian training grounds from the DPRK.

US Department of Defense spokesman Patrick Ryder said that a small number of North Korean troops are already in the Kursk region of Russia bordering Ukraine.

On October 31, it became known that North Korea had sent three of its generals to Russia, including the DPRK's deputy chief of general staff, who is also the head of the state's main intelligence bureau.