the essential
Visiting Moscow this Friday, November 1, the North Korean Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pyongyang's unconditional support for Russia, “until its victory” in Ukraine. Around 10,000 North Korean soldiers are already deployed on Russian soil. Their role, potential deployment at the front, and equipment… We explain what we know.
10,000 North Korean soldiers ready to fight. These figures have been brandished with concern by Washington and Seoul for several days. “The fact that such a large number of troops moved west suggests that it is unlikely that they left simply to observe,” warns a South Korean official. At least 500 officers and three generals would be part of this contingent. Traveling to Moscow this Friday, November 1, the North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs assured that Pyongyang would support Russia until “its victory” in Ukraine.
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Who are the North Korean soldiers sent?
They are not simple recruits: nicknamed “human bombs”, the members of the “Storm Corps” are an elite unit specialized in infiltration and sabotage. Researcher Go Myong-hyun explains that they are “much better trained and equipped” than the Russian recruits sent to Ukraine. Made up of 60,000 men and derived from the former Unit 124, this force is designed for extreme missions, such as the assassination of South Korean leaders, and is among the most feared special forces in the world.
When could they intervene on the front?
Their arrival could be faster than expected. Sergiy Kyslytsya indicates that up to 4,500 North Korean soldiers could reach the Russian border as early as this week. According to the Washington Postsatellite images provided by Maxar Technologies show increased military activity at the Sergeevka training base near Vladivostok, where North Korean soldiers are being prepared.
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In which region are they deployed in Russia?
North Korean forces are massing in the strategic Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border. The Pentagon confirmed the presence of a “small number” of North Korean troops in the area, although thousands more are believed to be on their way to reinforce the key position.
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What military equipment do they have?
Dressed in Russian uniforms and provided with false identities to conceal their origin, North Korean soldiers use light weapons supplied by Moscow. But according to some South Korean experts, it is likely that Pyongyang will also dispatch military personnel, in particular technical advisers responsible for supervising the use of North Korean weapons on the ground. Especially since Pyongyang, as a show of force, launched an intercontinental ballistic missile reaching a record altitude of 7,000 km, marking a clear warning to its rivals.
