The suggestion to deploy North Korean troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine came from Pyongyang, not Moscow, U.S. intelligence sources told the New York Times, it reported on Dec. 23.
While some Western officials initially viewed the arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia as evidence of the Kremlin’s desperation, U.S. agencies now reportedly believe the idea was North Korea’s initiative, quickly embraced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Since August, approximately 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk Oblast, where they are fighting alongside Russian forces.
On Dec. 23, President Zelensky said that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured in the region, significantly surpassing earlier estimates.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of the global risks posed by increasing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including the transfer of advanced warfare technologies.
These concerns align with U.S. reported assessments that Russia is relying on North Korea and Iran to sustain artillery operations and drone strikes targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure.
North Korea has become a key ally of Russia, supplying ballistic missiles, artillery ammunition, and soldiers.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 23 that Pyongyang is preparing additional arms shipments to Russia following the delivery of about 20,000 containers of weaponry.
Ukraine reported that North Korean troops had been involved in ground assaults in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in December.
South Korea has also observed preparations for further troop and weapon transfers from North Korea to aid Russia’s ongoing war.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
