Troops from North Korea: Where Putin might use them and why

Apparently the first North Korean soldiers have already arrived in the combat zone in Ukraine. At least that’s what Kyiv claims. So far, Pyongyang has only confirmed that its own troops are on Russian territory in the Far East.

The first group of 1,000 fighters arrived in Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday, said Liubov Tsybulska, the founder of the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. She cites sources within the Russian military.

Even before this report, the Kursk region was considered the most likely location for a North Korean operation. There are still Ukrainian troops on Russian soil. North Korea will argue that it is not participating in the invasion of Ukraine but is assisting its ally Russia in defending its own country. A total of around 12,000 North Korean soldiers are currently training in Russia.

Large number of North Koreans

1000 soldiers are a negligible number militarily; they only have a political significance. With 12,000 men things look different. 12,000 men correspond to around three fully-filled Ukrainian brigades; in fact, Kiev’s units currently mostly do not reach their target strength. In addition, there is no guarantee that the next 12,000 men will not follow as soon as the first group leaves the training camps. Pyongyang is now supposed to supply Moscow with as many artillery shells as Russia can produce itself.

Russia has been pursuing a war of attrition strategy in Ukraine since 2023. Major breakthroughs and bold maneuvers are not planned. Constant fighting is intended to “wear out” Ukraine’s soldiers and material. War is based on the firepower of long-range weapons and the use of infantry. So the number of frontline soldiers plays a crucial role.

Their numerical superiority currently enables the Russians to become active on new sectors of the front, while Kiev’s troops in the east are barely able to occupy the lines. The number of North Koreans is particularly important because they strengthen the fighting front-line units, which only make up part of the army.

“Practice” near Kursk

Analysts believe the North Koreans will first attack the northernmost tip of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region. This area has already been largely cut off by the Russians. Instead of clearing the zone, the Russians have been holding out for several days. The assumption is that they are creating a training zone for the allies here, where the North Koreans can get to know the conditions of war, but only face a weakened enemy.

Does the North Korean deployment show Putin’s “desperation,” as has been claimed? In fact, the Kremlin ruler is demonstrating his capabilities here. While the West’s support for Ukraine is slow and slow, its ally is not only sending it millions of grenades plus rockets and other armaments, it is also giving it a whole corps of soldiers. And who knows, perhaps Pyongyang will be willing to send a second, third or even fourth corps.

Upgrading of North Korea

For Kim Jong-un, the Ukraine war is a blessing. The bizarre North Korean dictatorship was viewed with suspicion even by Russia and China before the war. Now Kim is a sought-after ally who helps shape world politics. And Russia is paying for this aid. With money, with food and also with armaments know-how. Possible deaths should not matter to Kim Jong-un. His troops not only earn money, they learn the craft of modern war as it has developed in Ukraine. And this war looks very different than previously assumed. North Korea has the fourth largest army in the world with 1.3 million soldiers and 7.6 million reservists. Some of the equipment is considered outdated. But in the infantry war, that doesn’t matter much if the Russians manage to supply the allies with drones, body armor, night vision goggles and the like. Parts of the North Korean troops are expressly trained for command operations in the rear of enemy troops and for guerrilla warfare. They are probably best prepared for the war in Ukraine.

Western response

The Kremlin buys soldiers cheaply. Putin refrains from mobilizing soldiers in Russia – Russians are lured into war by reputation but above all by money. In this way, Moscow avoids a problem that Kyiv suffers from. Millions of Ukrainians have left the country to escape the front. Now they are not only missing from the army, but also from the economy.

Russia is also currently suffering from a shortage of workers and is trying to solve this by recruiting fighters and workers abroad. But each individual has to be convinced individually. In North Korea, a decree is enough and thousands march. The use of foreign troops cannot be compared to recruiting volunteers or mercenaries. If the North Koreans actually fight, that will be a significant level of escalation. And it is to be feared that the West will not find an adequate answer. Support for Ukraine is waning rather than increasing. Sending Western combat troops to Ukraine is currently very unlikely.