• North Korea sent thousands of troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
• U.S. officials remain concerned about what Kim might receive in return, which analysts and officials say could be military technology.
• Kim and Putin have deepened their alliance and even signed a defense pact.

North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia as the alliance between the countries deepens, and it appears they are headed to the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

The US said last week it had evidence of the arrival of about 3,000 North Korean troops at Russian military bases for possible deployment in Ukraine, confirming previous intelligence from both Ukraine and South Korea. The White House said the US believed the soldiers were undergoing training.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that he “could confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed in the Kursk region,” where Ukrainian forces invaded Russian territory in early August.

Later on Monday, the Defense Ministry updated its figures and said 10,000 North Korean troops were on the way. A Pentagon spokesperson said that “we are increasingly concerned that Russia plans to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces.”

Why is North Korea helping Russia?

Ties between Russia and North Korea entered a new phase earlier this year when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new mutual defense agreement at a summit in Pyongyang.

The defense pact, which the Russian State Duma ratified last Thursday, states that the signatories will help each other in the event of an armed attack. This moment marks the closest ties between North Korea and Russia since the Cold War.

Putin and Kim have strengthened their relationship during the war in Ukraine and met last fall to discuss an arms deal, under which North Korea would eventually supply ammunition and weapons to Russia. That event followed previous interactions for similar purposes.

That growing partnership between Russia and North Korea, countries that were aligned in their stance against the US-led liberal world order during this war, has brought things to their current state.

What support does Russia get?

The US first accused North Korea of ​​sending Russian munitions in September 2022, and Ukrainian and US officials have documented the use of North Korean weapons, including ballistic missiles, on the battlefield. Estimates of the amount of ammunition Pyongyang has sent to Moscow vary, but the West and South Korea believe the total of artillery ammunition is somewhere in the millions.

Russia has used North Korea’s weapons as a stopgap as it battles the high demands this conflict places on industries targeted by sanctions and hit by production problems. The Russians also use weapon systems from Iran. The quality and performance of the weapons delivered are mixed.

In the same way that Russia has suffered ammunition shortages, it has also suffered manpower shortages in this high-casualty conflict.

“More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in Putin’s war, and he is unable to continue his assault in Ukraine without foreign support,” NATO chief Rutte said on Monday. He said it was a sign of “growing despair” over Putin’s end. North Korean Armed Forces.

What does North Korea get in return?

It is unclear what exactly drives North Korea to become increasingly involved in the war and send troops to Russia. “We don’t have a good idea of ​​that,” Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, told reporters last week. “But that’s what worries us so much.”

Kim is in a strong position to demand food, petroleum products or even military technology, all of which analysts have identified as possibilities. By sending troops instead of just weapons and ammunition, Pyongyang appears to be paying a very high price for what it gets in return, which is telling in its own way.

Nuclear-powered submarine technologies, which North Korea wants, could be in high demand. North Korea also has an aging fleet of fighter jets it wants to upgrade and a desire for advanced satellite technologies. It could also try to improve its defense industrial base.

But North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs are its crown jewels. In June, when the focus was solely on weapons and ammunition, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said any discussions about what North Korea would get from Russia would likely involve “nuclear or long-range missile development plans.”

North Korea also gains a degree of influence over the US and its allies through its close ties with Russia, and its involvement in the war in Ukraine allows its military to gain combat experience and performance data on its weapons.

How do friend and enemy react?

Kim’s apparent decision to send North Korean troops to support the war in Russia has raised a number of red flags. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called this a “very serious issue.”

The Biden administration would “continue to expand security assistance to Kiev” and discussed “the appropriate next steps” with allies and partners, Kirby said. He noted that the US would also communicate with China on this issue.

Publicly, China has remained silent, with a State Department spokesperson saying last week that Beijing “has no information” about the deployment and would continue to push for a de-escalation of the conflict. Beijing has often aligned itself with Russia and North Korea, and Western officials have accused China of also providing military aid to Russia in exchange for certain technologies and information.

North Korea’s involvement in the war in Ukraine is perhaps the most worrying for South Korea outside of Ukraine. The country’s spy agency reported that Kim had promised about 10,000 troops to Russia and that these troops have been training in Russia since September.

The development has prompted Seoul’s leadership to reconsider its long-standing ban on supplying weapons directly to a country in conflict. South Korea previously supported Ukraine through a loophole, sending ammunition through allies and partners, including the US. But last week, senior South Korean officials indicated a policy change was being considered.

Such a move would draw both Koreas deeper into the conflict and risk increasing tensions at an already difficult time on the peninsula.