North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia - presumably to fight against Ukraine. What else is known? Here we answer the most important questions.
How many North Korean soldiers are we talking about?
Ukrainian, South Korean and American sources say North Korea has sent at least 10,000 of its troops to Russia, some say 12,000.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not denied that he intends to resort to the use of North Korean soldiers. “This is our sovereign decision." Ukraine and its supporters strongly condemned the deployment of the troops - they fear further escalation.
Where are the North Korean soldiers?
The units were first sent to the Russian Far East to undergo training. According to the media, among other things, they also learn the most important military commands in Russian. They should also wear Russian uniforms.
It is believed that some of them arrived in the Kursk region, i.e. near the border with Ukraine. In this Russian region, at the beginning of August, the Ukrainian army managed to make a surprising breakthrough and took control of a number of settlements. The Russian army wants to regain the territory, for which it probably relies on the support of North Korean soldiers.
What does Russia need North Korean soldiers for?
Russian losses in the war against Ukraine are high. According to the data of the British military secret services in September, 1,271 Russian soldiers were killed or seriously wounded per day, and the total number of Russian soldiers killed in the war is probably more than 600,000. According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, because of this, Russia &ldquo ;is unable to sustain its attacks on Ukraine without foreign support".
Putin really needs more soldiers urgently. But observers question whether 10,000 North Korean troops can sustainably offset heavy Russian losses.
What could the North Koreans' mission look like?
South Korean secret services suggest that the North Koreans sent to Russia are highly qualified specialists. But for now it is not clear how and where exactly they will operate. “The purpose of the North Korean army is to fight on the Korean Peninsula, not abroad,", states the American military analyst Mark Kencion. He believes none of the soldiers have been abroad before.
His opinion is that the soldiers could be given special tasks - for example in the field of logistics or in connection with North Korean missiles delivered to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that all North Koreans will be sent to the front. “Ukraine will actually be forced to fight in Europe against North Korea."
Does sending North Korean soldiers against Ukraine violate international law?
With its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia violates the international law ban on the use of violence. If North Korea supports this war with its soldiers, then “Pyongyang will also act contrary to international law", lawyer professor Klaus Kress explains to DV.
He adds that in this regard, it makes no difference whether North Korean soldiers will be used in the Kursk region, in the Russian-occupied regions or in other Ukrainian regions - in all these places, North Korea will at least provide assistance to Russian operations in conflict with international law.
Is North Korea becoming a party to the war?
It depends on whose command the North Korean soldiers will be under, Kress says. “If they are completely under the command of Russia, their actions will be attributed solely to Russia according to international law, respectively North Korea will not be a party to the war." This remains the case, even if the North Koreans get directly involved in hostilities, the expert emphasizes.
„It will be different if North Korea retains command of its soldiers, whether alone or together with Russia,", Kress points out. In this case, as a result of the direct participation of its soldiers in hostilities, North Korea will become a party to the conflict.
In this situation, Ukraine would get the right to defend itself on North Korean territory - i.e. to respond militarily. Because if the actions of the North Koreans reach a certain intensity, it would be an armed attack by North Korea against Ukraine.
What will North Korea get in return?
North Korea has one of the largest armies in the world - with 1.3 million soldiers. Sending the troops to Russia could provide combat experience on the basis of which to once again increase the threat potential vis-à-vis South Korea.
Before the troops were sent, North Korea had already delivered millions of ammunition and a large number of ballistic missiles to Russia, whose arsenals have been depleted by the war against Ukraine. For its part, Russia is likely to supply North Korea with food, fuel and satellite technology.
As noted by Korea expert Victor Cha from the American think tank CSIS, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is very interested in the most advanced military technologies, in particular intercontinental missiles and nuclear submarines. “Kim is not stupid. He knows that Putin needs both ammunition and soldiers from North Korea. Then why not ask for a higher price?"
What connects Russia and North Korea?
Moscow and Pyongyang have maintained close contacts since the Cold War. Now, after the start of the war against Ukraine, Putin and Kim have deepened them even more.
North Korea's support for Russia was outlined as early as March 2022 during the UN General Assembly - there, Kim's country was one of a total of five in the world that voted against the resolution condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Thanks to its proximity to Russia, internationally isolated North Korea could get urgently needed food and technology, while Putin gets ammunition and weapons for his army.
How are NATO and Europe reacting?
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was extremely clear: “NATO calls on Russia and North Korea to stop these actions immediately". He pointed out that the sending of the North Korean soldiers is “another violation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council and is a dangerous expansion of the Russian war". Rutte described the deployment of North Korean soldiers in Kursk as “a sign of Putin's growing desperation". At the same time, he emphasized that NATO will continue to support Ukraine.
German Free Democrat MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann calls this an "unthinkable provocation" and demands that NATO respond in some way. “Who can guarantee us that in a year or so, North Korean soldiers will not be stationed in the Baltics, or the Chinese will not use them to attack Taiwan?".
Victor Cha of the CSIS think tank, for his part, notes that this step will have long-term consequences for North Korea's relations with Europe. "Europe has traditionally been North Korea's gateway to the West, and Pyongyang perceived it as more neutral than the United States." But the decision to send troops to slaughter Europeans will not be quickly forgotten in European capitals, Cha is emphatic.