Why does Russia need North Korean troops to fight alongside its forces in Ukraine?

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un signed a secret “mutual assistance agreement” in June that may have facilitated the transfer of ammunition and missiles – and now personnel.

The rumors about the transfer of large numbers of North Korean troops come amid Ukrainian media reports that Putin is struggling to mobilize more Russians amid growing unease at home over the duration and costs of the war. both financially and in terms of victims. Last week, the New York Times reported that September was the “bloodiest” month yet for Russian troops fighting in the war, with 115,000 Russians killed since the war began and 500,000 wounded.

This week, the Kyiv Post quoted Ukrainian military sources as saying that as many as 3,000 North Korean troops were supplied with small arms and ammunition ahead of their deployment in “high-risk operations aimed at reducing pressure on Russian forces.”

What role do North Korean soldiers play in the conflict?

Although details of the Putin-Kim deal have never been made public, media reports say several thousand North Korean soldiers are being trained in Russia and could be deployed to the front lines by the end of the year.

That would be in addition to dozens of North Korean technicians reportedly sent to Ukraine to help deploy exported weapons, including KN-23 ballistic missiles.

As the Guardian reported last week, North Korean personnel who provided technical advice to their Russian counterparts are believed to be among those killed following a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-held territory near Donetsk earlier this month.

What does North Korea get in return?

Kim’s regime will benefit financially and militarily, although closer ties with Russia will only deepen his isolation in the broader international community.

North Korea, which has been subject to UN-led sanctions for decades over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, is constantly seeking new sources of foreign currency – and supplying hardware to the Kremlin almost certainly comes with a quid pro quo .

The country’s already fragile economy was hit hard by the closure of its borders with China – by far its largest trading partner – during the Covid-19 crisis and has yet to fully recover.

North Korean citizens reportedly sent to Ukraine to rebuild destroyed infrastructure in Russian-occupied territories are another source of money, in defiance of a UN order to repatriate all North Korean migrant workers by the end of 2019 .

North Korea’s army generals could learn valuable lessons about warfare as the country ratchets up tensions with South Korea and its allies, while the conflict in Ukraine gives the regime a chance to gauge how good – or bad – its munitions and missiles perform in a real war situation.

When Kim visited Putin in Russia last year, he reportedly discussed possible Russian help with the North’s troubled spy satellite program.

How have Ukraine and its allies responded?

Citing briefings from Ukrainian intelligence services that confirmed North Korea’s “real involvement” in the war, Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post this week that their presence proved that Ukraine needed more international support to put pressure on Russia and ‘prevent a bigger war’.

The US said it was “concerned” by the reports, which the Kremlin described as “fake news”.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said any North Korean involvement in the war would significantly strengthen defense ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. “Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as the country continues to suffer significant battlefield losses in its brutal war against Ukraine,” Savett said.

The commander of the US military in the Indo-Pacific region, General Charles Flynn, said the North could get real-time feedback on its weapons – knowledge it could not gain from its long but largely peaceful standoff with South Korea .

“That’s different because they provide capabilities and – open-source reporting – there is also manpower,” Flynn said at an event in Washington. “That kind of feedback from a real battlefield to North Korea to be able to make adjustments to their weapons, their ammunition, their capabilities and even their people – I find it very concerning.”