North Korea is preparing to send a new contingent of troops and military equipment to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The Japan Times.
According to Budanov, in the coming months, Pyongyang plans to deploy around 6,000 military engineering personnel, officially for demining and reconstruction work in Russia’s Kursk region. However, the intelligence chief doubts that will be their sole mission: “Some of them may indeed be involved in demining and building fortifications, but will all of them do that?” he remarked.
Alongside the troops, North Korea is expected to deliver between 50 and 100 pieces of military equipment, including M2010 (Cheonma-D) main battle tanks and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers.
Budanov also stated that North Korea is already supplying about 40% of the Russian army’s needs for 122mm and 152mm ammunition, which is being produced in the country “around the clock.” In addition, Moscow has received hundreds of artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems, and missiles from Pyongyang.
Some of this weaponry initially showed poor performance, but after modifications, the Russians have significantly improved its effectiveness. In particular, the upgraded KN-23 missile, with a range of 690 kilometers (429 miles), has become much more accurate.
According to Budanov, long-range 170mm M1989 self-propelled guns and other North Korean weaponry are already causing serious challenges for Ukrainian forces and are significantly prolonging the war.
Last autumn, North Korea had already deployed troops to Russia; intelligence estimates suggest at least 10,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to the front, where they took part in combat against Ukraine.
The Center for National Resistance (CNR) reported in September 2023 that Russia was planning to bring North Korean citizens to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction work.
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin, after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June last year, persuaded his counterpart from Pyongyang to open “diplomatic missions in Donetsk and Luhansk.”
The CNR assessed that the North Koreans were invited to ensure the supply of labor in these regions, as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has resulted in a labor shortage throughout Russia and the occupied territories.
Later, Kyiv Post’s intelligence sources said that more than 20 soldiers were killed as a result of an Oct. 3 missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk, including six officers from North Korea, who came to confer with their Russian counterparts. Three more North Korean servicemen were wounded.
According to reports from Russian social media, prior to the missile strike, the Russians were demonstrating to North Korean representatives the training of personnel for assault actions and defense.