Direct involvement in the fighting inside Ukraine marks an important escalation in the conflict.
North Korean troops are supporting Russian military operations inside Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.
Thus far, North Korean troops fighting for the Russian military have limited their operations inside Russia. Direct involvement in the fighting inside Ukraine would mark an important escalation in the conflict.
North Korean Drone Operations
According to the British Ministry of Defence’s latest intelligence estimate, North Korean troops are providing unmanned aerial system support to Russian forces inside Ukraine. Thus far, North Korean troops assisting the Russian military have limited their operations in Kursk Oblast, Russia, helping fend off the Ukrainian foray there.
“This is the first time DPRK troops have been reported as directly supporting or facilitating Russian offensive operations into sovereign Ukrainian territory. Specifically, DPRK uncrewed aerial system (UAS) operators are reportedly assisting Russian forces using multiple launch rocket systems to target Ukrainian positions in Ukraine’s Sumy oblast,” the British Ministry of Defence stated.
North Korean unmanned aerial system operators are essentially acting as spotters for Russian artillery, reconnoitering Ukrainian positions for targets of opportunity before calling in Russian artillery and rocket artillery. These duties are in stark contrast to their previous experiences in Ukraine.
While DPRK forces highly likely conduct tactical UAS strikes and reconnaissance UAS operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region previously, their primary role was as infantry conducting offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces within Kursk.
Pyongyang has deployed several thousand troops to Russia to support the Kremlin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. The initial force numbered around 11,000 troops. Heavy losses following a few weeks of combat forced Russian commanders to pull the North Korean contingent off the frontlines for rest and recuperation. Ironically, Ukrainian suicide drones caused many of the North Korean casualties. Pyongyang then deployed additional troops as reinforcements, allowing the contingent to go back to the fighting.
“Any decision to deploy DPRK troops into internationally recognised, sovereign Ukrainian territory in support of Russian forces, would almost certainly require sign-off from both Russia’s President Putin, and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un,” the British Ministry of Defence stated.
North Korean Losses
The North Korean troops are not there just to help Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine offers the North Korean military a rare opportunity to gain modern combat experience without being engaged in a full-blown conflict. The heavy losses that the North Korean contingent suffered were mainly the result of being inadequately prepared for the rigors of modern combat. Ukrainian suicide drones and artillery seem to have taken a heavy toll on the North Korean troops. But now the North Korean soldiers are learning and evolving. And the North Korean military is likely seeking opportunities to improve its combat capabilities, including drone operations. Pyongyang is also gaining weapon systems out of this arrangement.
“It is highly likely that DPRK forces sustained more than 6,000 casualties in offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Russian oblast of Kursk, amounting to more than half of the approximately 11,000 DPRK troops initially deployed to the Kursk region,” the British Ministry of Defence concluded in its intelligence assessment.
The initial North Korean involvement in the war prompted Ukraine’s partners to transfer advanced cruise missiles to the Ukrainian military—namely, the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG air-launched munitions. North Korean involvement inside Ukraine could be the reason for additional transfers of advanced weapons to Ukraine.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.
