A Scrap Aircraft Made During the Cold War as a 'Gift'
"Possibility of Putin's Betrayal Against Kim Jong-un"
There is growing interest in the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who received manpower resources from North Korea, might instead 'betray' North Korea. This speculation arises amid predictions that Russia could send 30-year-old outdated fighter jets to North Korea as compensation for the troop deployment.
The Japan branch of the North Korea specialist media outlet 'Daily NK' reported on the 17th, citing U.S. analysis data, that "North Korea could acquire fighter jets such as MiG-29 and Su-27 from Russia."
North Korea is currently involved in the Russia-Ukraine war. It has already supplied large quantities of weapons and ammunition to the Russian military and is directly dispatching troops estimated to number up to 11,000. Many of these troops are equipped with Russian-made weapons and uniforms and have been deployed to frontlines such as Kursk, with reports indicating some have died in combat.
Museum at Monino Air Force Base near Moscow, Russia. It houses various Soviet-era aircraft that have been virtually abandoned. Reddit capture.
As compensation for this cooperation, the Russian military has hinted at various military collaborations with North Korea. Jet fighters like the MiG-29 and Su-27 appear to be part of this compensation package. North Korea, in particular, needs to secure as many modernized fighter jets as possible since its current fighter fleet is aging.
The problem lies in the condition of these fighter jets. Daily NK focused on a recent interview conducted by Radio Free Asia (RFA) with Lee Il-woo, Secretary-General of the Autonomous Defense Network. Lee is known as an expert analyzing various weapons deployed on the Korean Peninsula, including those in South Korea and North Korea.
In the interview, Lee described the Russian-made MiG-29 and Su-27 as "formidable fighter jets," but also pointed out that "only 30 out of the total MiG-29s are newly produced models, while the remaining 200 or so are all old. In particular, about half of them, approximately 100 units, have been left unused for a long time and are essentially scrap equipment."
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, who made a state visit to North Korea, are toasting at a state banquet held in Pyongyang on July 19. Photo by Yonhap News
He added, "The situation with the Su-27 is even more serious. All Su-27s held by the Russian military were produced before 1991," and predicted, "If Russia donates these jets to North Korea, they will likely be early production models that have not undergone any refurbishment."
In other words, there is a possibility that the 'price of life' for up to 11,000 North Korean soldiers could be paid with essentially scrap aircraft that may not even fly properly. Lee claimed that there is already a sense of 'disappointment' from the Pyongyang side regarding these moves by the Russian military. He explained, "North Korea is discerning enough to know what is new and what is old. Also, since they have already operated the MiG-29, they know how poor a weapon this fighter jet really is."
Daily NK pointed out that if the Russian military donates outdated aircraft to the North Korean military, it could be seen as a 'betrayal' by President Putin against North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un.
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