NATO chief Mark Rutte cannot confirm Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claims about Russian deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine. “But the reports are worrying,” he said Wednesday during the NATO summit in Brussels.
Zelensky last week accused North Korea of ​​transferring personnel to Russian forces, citing Ukrainian intelligence services, according to Reuters .
A Ukrainian military source told BBC News that the Russians were “working on a North Korean unit of about 3,000 soldiers.” And the South Korean defense minister called North Korean deployment in Ukraine “highly likely.”
According to the Ukrainian military news site Defense Express , the North Koreans could also guard the Russian border, so that Russian soldiers can fight in Ukraine. That way, Russia could better deploy its own troops. These reports have not been confirmed.
A military source in eastern Russia does report that “a number of North Koreans have arrived there”. They are said to be stationed at a military base north of Vladivostok. It is not known how many men are involved.
But BBC News says it has yet to see “any sign of such unity.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also denies North Korean involvement in the war. According to him, neither British nor American intelligence provides evidence for the claim.
North Korea-Russia cooperation has intensified
In addition to Rutte and Zelensky, the United States is also concerned about the reports. “It would mean a significant improvement in the relationship between Russia and North Korea,” reports the US State Department.
The concerns are justified, experts say. Moscow and Pyongyang have intensified their cooperation in recent months. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his birthday, and the leaders toasted “a peaceful and defensive pact” in July. The cooperation is also said to be evident from growing evidence that Russia is using North Korean munitions .
But military experts say it is doubtful that Russia could successfully add North Korean soldiers to its troops. “It was not easy to get Russian prisoners to work, for example,” an analyst told the British channel. In addition, North Korea has a large but inexperienced army. There is also a language barrier and the North Koreans are not familiar with Russian systems.
