South Korean Intelligence Says North Korea Will Send 12 Thousand Troops To Russia, 1,500 Of Them Special Forces

Kim Jong-un while reviewing the training facilities for North Korean special forces. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - South Korea's spy agency on Friday confirmed North Korea had decided to send about 10,000 troops to support Russia in the war in Ukraine, with the first batch of deliveries already starting.

Confirmation from the National Intelligence Agency (NIS) comes after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held an emergency security meeting, amid rising speculation North Korea may provide its troops to fight against Russia in Ukraine.

Following the meeting, NIS said it had confirmed "the beginning of North Korea's direct involvement" in Ukraine's war, after learning troops from North Korea were transferred by carrier of the Russian Navy, quoted from The Korea Times October 18.

NIS also said it had confirmed Pyongyang had started transporting troops, especially to Russia from October 8 to 13.

According to NIS, about 1,500 North Korean troops were transported during the first phase, using four amphibious landing ships and three Russian escort ships.

Quoted from Reuters, the 1.500 soldiers were special forces. They were taken to Russia's far east to attend training and aclimitation at a local military base, before being deployed to the battlefield.

These troops were moved from areas near cities in North Korea, namely Chongjin, Hamhung, and Musudan, to Vladivostok. NIS said they expect the second phase of the transport to occur soon.

A Seoul intelligence source said North Korea was expected to deploy a total of 12,000 troops, including from the country's most elite military units, to war in Ukraine.

It said North Korean troops deployed to Russia had been stationed in various locations in the Far East, including Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk, where they are currently integrated with Russian military units.

According to Seoul's spy agency, they have been given Russian military uniforms and weapons. In addition, they were also given false identities to disguise them as local residents, making them appear as part of Russian troops.

Earlier, South Korea's Presidential Office said it had been closely monitoring the movement of North Korean troops to Russia from the start in coordination with its allies, would continue to monitor the situation and take all necessary actions proactively.

"The direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea that has been reported by foreign media has now been officially confirmed," NIS said in a statement.

Following the NIS announcement, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, his party was "closely related to all of our partners, particularly with the Republic of Korea," regarding developments between North Korea and Russia, but stressed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization needed further confirmation to reach conclusions.