CNN
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North Korean soldiers have been filmed receiving uniforms and equipment at a training ground in Russia’s far east. This appears to confirm reports from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) that 1,500 soldiers have been transferred for military training to be deployed in Ukraine.

North Korean troops are believed to be receiving training before being sent to the front lines in Ukraine, which would be a clear sign of increasingly warm relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

In a video shared with CNN by the Ukrainian government organization, the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, a long line of soldiers can be seen lining up to receive their uniforms. It is believed that the soldiers spoke Korean, although the low-quality audio prevented their conversations from being fully understood.

Upon arrival in Russia, the North Korean recruits were asked to fill out a questionnaire measuring hats, headgear, uniforms and shoes. In a copy of the questionnaire shared with CNN, the top of the form is written in Russian, while the different size options are written in Korean.

Another video circulating on social media, geolocated by CNN, showed troops arriving at the Sergeevka training ground, which is close to Russia’s border with China. In the video, a Russian speaker can be heard in the background saying, “We can’t film them,” before adding, “There are more… there are millions of them here. Here are the new reinforcements. This is just the beginning. There are more.”

This evidence appears to confirm Kyiv’s long-held concerns that North Korea has been preparing for a more direct role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had repeatedly sounded the alarm about the deepening alliance between Russia and North Korea. He told a NATO summit this week that “thousands” of North Korean troops were heading to Russia.

“According to the intelligence I have … they are preparing 10,000 soldiers, several soldiers, land forces, technical personnel,” Zelensky told reporters, describing it as an “urgent” development that he had raised with the United States.

South Korean media previously reported that the North will send a total of 12,000 troops, although this figure was not included in the national intelligence statement.

This could be the first time North Korea has made a significant intervention in an international conflict. Despite having one of the largest militaries in the world with 1.2 million soldiers, many of its troops lack combat experience.