About 2,000 North Korean Army Reportedly Moving To West Russia Near Ukraine

Illustration of North Korean soldiers (Wikimedia Commons/Roman Harak)

JAKARTA - About 2,000 North Korean troops moved to western Russia near the Ukrainian border after completing training, Ukraine's military source told Kyodo News on Thursday, marking the first movement of confirmed troops sent by Pyongyang.

North Korean military officers entered Russia's western Kursk region earlier this month as a preliminary team to prepare for arrival of troops in the area where Ukraine carried out cross-border attacks.

According to the source, the preliminary team consisted of about 10 officers. At Kursk, the team is believed to have secured the base to receive North Korean troops, set up communication networks and inspected the security of the surrounding area, according to Kyodo News Oct. 24.

Ukrainian authorities identified the movement of North Korean soldiers through satellite data, intercepted communications and intelligence from within the Russian military.

Last week, South Korean intelligence reported North Korea delivered about 1,500 troops to Russia's far east, out of a total of about 10,000 troops expected to be deployed by December.

On Wednesday, that number increased with the number of North Korean soldiers sent having reached 3,000 personnel according to South Korean intelligence, quoted by The Korea Times.

"After the first wave arrived in Russia from October 8-13, 1,500 additional troops were sent there," MP Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party's main opposition told reporters, citing a report by NIS Director Cho Tae-yong.

The troops have not been deployed to the battlefield. Instead, they are placed in military facilities in Russia and adapt to their new state.

The soldiers underwent special training on how to use military equipment and fly unmanned aerial vehicles, among other things.

A North Korean soldier receives about $2.000 per month for duty in Russia, according to the agency.

The total number of troops joining Russia is expected to reach 10,000, including 3,000 that have been deployed, he added.

Separately, the White House confirmed the presence of some 3,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, warning it would be a legitimate target if it was deployed to the Ukrainian battlefield, after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin previously told reporters in Rome, Italy, Uncle Sam's country saw evidence Pyongyang had sent troops to Russia.

"We consider that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan region of North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia. These soldiers then continued their journey to a number of Russian military training locations in eastern Russia where they are currently undergoing training," Kirby said at a press conference, referring to North Korea's eastern coastal city and Russia's Far East city.

"We don't know if these soldiers will join the fight with the Russian military, but this is certainly a very worrying possibility. After completing training, these soldiers can travel to western Russia and then engage in fighting against the Ukrainian military," he added.

Kirby warned of potential victims of North Korea that could occur if troops engaged in fighting.

"If they are actually deployed to fight Ukraine, they are a legitimate target and the Ukrainian military will defend itself against the North Korean army in the same way they defend themselves against the Russian army," Kirby said.

"So it is possible that some North Korean soldiers were killed and injured in the fight against Ukraine is truly real if they are deployed," he said.

Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed reports of North Korean troops in Russia, saying taking into account the character of his ally President Vladimir Putin, he believes Moscow will not involve other countries' troops in special operations in Ukraine.

President Lukashenko dismissed suggestions North Korea had sent troops to deploy with Russian troops in a war that had lasted more than two and a half years in Ukraine.

"It's empty," President Lukashenko told the BBC on the sidelines of a summit of the BRICS country-state group.

"Knowing his character, Putin will never try to persuade other countries to involve his troops in Russia's special operations in Ukraine," he continued.

Deploying foreign troops, he said, "would be a step towards an escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, were on the line of contact."