"North Korea Preparing to Send Up to 30,000 Additional Troops to Russia"

"Preparations Detected in Satellite Images"

Ukrainian intelligence authorities expect that North Korea will send up to 30,000 additional troops to support Russia, CNN reported on July 2 (local time).

According to an analysis by Ukrainian intelligence obtained by CNN, the additional troops could arrive in Russia within a few months. The Russian Ministry of Defense is reportedly prepared to provide the necessary equipment, weapons, and ammunition so that North Korean soldiers can be integrated into Russian units.

Ukrainian intelligence authorities anticipate that North Korean troops will engage in combat in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, reinforcing Russian forces and participating in large-scale offensive operations. The intelligence authorities also believe that Russia is refurbishing military aircraft to transport personnel.

Satellite images obtained by CNN show that a transport vessel of the same type used to carry North Korean troops last year arrived at Dunai Naval Base near Vladivostok, Russia, on May 18. Additionally, transport aircraft, possibly Ilyushin (IL)-76s, were spotted at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport in North Korea on June 4. CNN suggested that these activities could be preparations for deploying additional North Korean troops and that some personnel may already be in transit.

Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, some experts have expressed skepticism about the Ukrainian estimate of 25,000 to 30,000 North Korean troops, arguing that the number is too high. Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, stated, "North Korea certainly has the capacity to provide that many troops. They may not be elite forces. Since Kim Jong Un has pledged full support, it depends on what Russia has requested." Town added that a figure of 10,000 to 20,000 seems "more realistic," and noted, "There are rumors that Russian generals have already been training troops in North Korea."

Previously, Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, announced on June 17 after meeting Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang that North Korea had agreed to send a total of 6,000 engineering and military construction personnel to help with the restoration of Kursk in Russia. In October last year, during the first deployment, North Korea sent approximately 11,000 combat troops to Russia.