Norks send troops to Russia

South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) reports that North Korea is sending the first 1,200 of 15,000 troops to train and fight in Russia.

That information comes a day after Ukraine’s spy boss told us that there are currently nearly 11,000 North Korean troops in eastern Russia, who will be ready to fight by Nov. 1. On Friday, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), told us that figure was revised upward to 11,800. At least six of Pyongyang’s forces, as we previously noted, have already been killed in Ukraine.

The North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia “are currently stationed at Russian military bases in the Far East, including Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk,” South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated in a new assessment released Friday.

To move these troops, the Russian Navy entered North Korean waters for the first time since 1900, according to NIS.

“…four landing ships and three escort ships belonging to the Russian Pacific Fleet completed the first transfer of approximately 1,500 North Korean special forces from the areas near Chongjin, Hamhung, and Musudan to Vladivostok, Russia during the same period, and a second transport operation is expected to take place soon,” NIS explained.

With more than 120,000 troops, North Korea has one of the world’s largest special operations forces. They are tasked with five basic missions: conducting reconnaissance, performing combat operations in conjunction with conventional operations, establishing a second front in South Korea’s rear areas, countering South Korean/U.S. special operations forces in North Korea’s rear area, and maintaining internal security. Above all else, causing mayhem deep behind the front lines during a war with the South would be on the top of their to do list. It is known that these troops are North Korea’s most hardened and go through extremely harsh training. Videos of their brutal demonstration have been circulating for years.

Guess I have to find a copy of the old “Best of The Best” movie again…

The North Korean soldiers “were issued Russian military uniforms and Russian-made weapons, and were also issued fake ID cards for residents of the Yakutia and Buryat regions of Siberia who look similar to North Koreans. It appears that they disguised themselves as Russian soldiers to hide the fact that they were deployed to the battlefield.

It’s not just troops – Putin released a draft of an agreement to the Duma (Russian congress) laying out a NATO-style military assistance plan for approval. Not to mention a bit of ammo:

NIS “assessed that North Korea had provided Russia with a total of 13,000 containers of shells, missiles, and anti-tank rockets, as well as other lethal weapons, on approximately 70 occasions since August of last year.”

…weapons North Korea provided to Russia included 122mm and 152mm shells, Bulsae-4 anti-tank missiles, short-range ballistic missiles such as the KN-23, and RPG anti-tank rockets,” the South Korean spy agency assessed. “Considering the size of containers loaded on cargo ships traveling between North Korea and Russia, it appears that a total of more than 8 million 122mm and 152mm shells have been provided to Russia so far.”

Pyongyang’s greatest asset is the number of troops it has, with one of the largest standing armies on earth. While many are poorly trained and fed, Kim could trade large numbers of troops to Russia in exchange for things it desperately needs – hard currency, food and other goods, and military assistance. Russian doctrine is on display in Ukraine, flowing huge numbers of troops in so-called “meat assaults” against Ukrainian positions. Even untrained North Koreans would help Russia continue to carry out those attacks. North Korea will also gain highly valuable combat experience on a modern battlefield, something it currently lacks. The War Zone

Interesting level of escalation. Sure hope the Nork’s DEI training is complete so they can be combat effective. I have an old buddy is who is both a former Korean and Russian linguist…wonder if he is starting to sweat?

Will really get interesting if there is any falling out between China and Russia – would put North Korea in an “interesting” position.

Category: International Affairs, North Korea, Russia