Thousands of North Korean soldiers set for deployment to Ukraine: report

Several thousand North Korean soldiers are currently undergoing training in Russia, with plans for deployment to the front lines in Ukraine by the end of the year, according to a Ukrainian military intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

This source indicated that North Korean officers are already present in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, tasked with observing local troops and assessing battlefield conditions.

Despite this training and preparation, Ukrainian forces have not yet encountered North Korean units engaged in combat operations, as reported by the Washington Post.

The official highlighted uncertainty regarding the specific locations where North Korean troops may be positioned, suggesting that border regions of Russia could be a strategic choice, allowing for the redeployment of Russian troops to combat roles in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian intelligence representative warned that the involvement of North Korean troops could significantly alter the dynamics on the battlefield.

“It could have a significant impact, especially if we’re talking about freeing up reserves within the territory of the Russian Federation itself,” the official stated.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, confirmed via Telegram that North Korea has already dispatched military personnel to Ukraine, including military engineers tasked with supervising the application of their weapons.

He stated, “The Ministry of Defense of South Korea says that North Korea will send military personnel to Ukraine. They have already sent some".

"I mentioned that North Korean military personnel, in limited numbers, mainly engineers, are overseeing the quality and use of Pyongyang's weapons by the Russian army. Some have already been killed. As for the ammunition and KN-23 ballistic missiles, they are mostly of low quality,” Kovalenko noted.