South Korea on Oct. 21 summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul, Georgy Zinoviev, to protest the dispatch of North Korean troops to assist Moscow's war against Ukraine, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Russian authorities detained 18 North Korean soldiers who abandoned their positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 21.
"U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Michael R. Turner appealed to President Joseph Biden on Oct. 18 to respond immediately to reports of North Korea's troops preparing to join Russia's army fighting in Ukraine.
Key developments on Oct. 18: * Budanov says close to 11,000 North Korean troops in Russia, will be 'ready to fight' in Ukraine by Nov. 1 * Ukraine liberates Kharkiv Oblast village key for defense of Kupiansk, military intelligence says * Biden says West 'cannot let up' support for Ukraine ahead of
Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security published a video that purportedly shows North Korean soldiers in a Russian military camp preparing to join Moscow's war effort against Ukraine.
Microelectronics made by companies from the U.S., Switzerland, the U.K., and the Netherlands were found in the North Korean missile that was shot down over Poltava Oblast.
Ukraine's military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov said the first group of 2,600 soldiers will be deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incision in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service said it believes North Korea will deploy four brigades totalling 12,000 soldiers to the war in Ukraine, including special forces.
Key developments on Oct. 17: * Zelensky says he told Trump that either Ukraine will join NATO or pursue nuclear weapons * Zelensky walks back earlier comments on Ukraine's possible plan to obtain nuclear weapons * 'First step to World War' — North Korea preparing 10,000 soldiers to join Russia's war, Zelensky confirms
According to military intelligence, North Korean officers are already in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
"There will be no war of the 1953 model. I am talking about Korean War. It ended in summer 2023 in Ukraine, when two professional armies of more than a million personnel each faced each other in the battlefield," said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the U.K.
The move came after Russia and China have blocked monitoring activities at the United Nations. In March, Moscow vetoed the annual renewal of the panel of experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
"Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine," White House National Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.
Russia's war in Ukraine may have reached a new stage this week, with reports that North Korea has moved from supplying Moscow with weapons to sending its own troops. A Western diplomat familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15 Pyongyang has sent 10,000 soldiers to
Key developments on Oct. 15: * North Korea has sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia, Western source says * Russia may resume strikes on Ukraine's energy sector in autumn, winter, official warns * 'No intact buildings left' in Toretsk, accelerating Russian advance, military says * US lawmakers pressuring Zelensky to lower mobilization age, Presidential
According to Suspilne's sources, the North Korean soldiers deserted around 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
As Russia and North Korea deepen military ties, Western diplomats and experts stress that it shows Moscow's increasing need for resources to continue waging its costly war in Ukraine.
According to Ukraine's military intelligence, Russia's plans for the fall and winter include "the actual involvement of North Korea in the war," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 14.
Among the tenets of the treaty is a stipulation that either country must provide military assistance to the other in the case of an attack. The treaty was first signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2024.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include President Volodymyr Zelensky's Oct. 14 statements regarding North Korea. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct. 14 said that Russia plans to involve North Korea directly in the full-scale war against Ukraine over the coming months. Russia's plans for the fall and winter
"There is no benefit to our nations or the world to forestall progress on reducing nuclear arsenals. Reducing the nuclear threat is important not despite the dangers of today’s world but precisely because of them," President Joe Biden said.
"We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea. This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces."
Earlier in October, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun told lawmakers that North Korea was likely planning to send troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia.
Key developments on Oct. 9: * Russian weapons depot storing North Korean shells, missiles set ablaze after drone attack, Ukraine's military reports * Ramstein-format meeting postponed after Biden cancels foreign visits * Battlefield situation calls for decisive action to end war in 2025, Zelensky says * Two more IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems arrive in Ukraine
Ukraine's General Staff said the depot was the 67th Arsenal of Russia’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU), located near the city of Karachev.
Key developments on Oct. 8: * 'Fights taking place at every building entrance' as Russia enters eastern Toretsk, military says * France to deliver first Mirage 2000 jets to Ukraine in early 2025 * Russian forces outnumbered Ukrainians tenfold in battle for Vuhledar, commander says * North Korea likely sending soldiers to Ukraine to
Democratic nations have grappled with a range of pressing issues in recent years, including the inherent flaws of long-established political systems, the erosion of international alliances, and global economic challenges, all while autocracies have been gaining power by exploiting this instability. American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum’s latest book,
"As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely," South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun said in the parliament.
NATO accused North Korea and Iran of "fueling" the war in Ukraine by giving missiles, shells, and drones to Russia in a statement issued last week.
According to the newspaper, around 3 million a year are being shipped from Pyongyang to Moscow, though a large number are believed to be faulty.
North Korea, facing accusations of illegally supplying weapons to Russia, slammed the U.S. decision to send $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine, labeling it an "incredible mistake" and warning that it risks sparking nuclear conflict with Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden announced the new aid package, which
"The U.S. remains strongly committed to leveraging all our available tools to disrupt this and other schemes intended to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and enable (North Korea's) illicit access to the international financial system," said Treasury official Bradley Smith.
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