Russian navy ships reportedly transferred 1,500 forces to Vladivostok, where they are being trained

South Korea’s intelligence agency said on Friday that North Korea has dispatched troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, a development that could intensify the standoff between North Korea and the west.

In a statement on its website, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that Russian navy ships transferred 1,500 North Korean special operation forces to the port city of Vladivostok between 8 and 13 October and were now undergoing training.

“The North Korean soldiers … are expected to be deployed to the frontlines as soon as they complete their adaptation training,” the agency said, adding that more North Korean troops are expected to be sent to Russia soon.

NIS said North Korean soldiers were given Russian military uniforms and Russian-made weapons and were issued with fake ID cards of residents of the Yakutia and Buryatia, two regions in Siberia.

…

Additionally, South Korean media said on Friday, citing anonymous sources, that Pyongyang has decided to dispatch a total of 12,000 troops, formed into four brigades, to Russia. The NIS did not immediately confirm these reports.

The statements come a day after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had intelligence reports that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were preparing to enter the war

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
      25·
      1 month ago

      It is, more or less. If they’re actually elite this could be helpful for Russia, but given Nork hasn’t had a conflict in decades I do question what their effectiveness will be.

    • SkaveRatEnglish
      6·
      1 month ago

      the total seems to be 12-15k. This was just a part of them

  • Regna@lemmy.worldEnglish
    183·
    1 month ago

    The picture looks like it’s AI generated for a The Onion piece. 😂

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    21·
    1 month ago

    Additionally, South Korean media said on Friday, citing anonymous sources, that Pyongyang has decided to dispatch a total of 12,000 troops, formed into four brigades, to Russia. The NIS did not immediately confirm these reports.

    The statements come a day after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had intelligence reports that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were preparing to enter the war

    Mark Rutte, the (new) NATO Secretary General, said in some article I read that NATO does not yet have confirmation, but that “this may change”.

    kagis

    Here’s the transcript on NATO’s website of a followup:

    https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_229585.htm

    Binna Chung, Yonhap

    Thank you. Binna from Yonhap News Agency. Secretary General, the South Korean Spy Agency today announced that North Korea has decided to send large scale troops to Russia and including special forces. I know that yesterday, you said you have no evidence, but since the situation has changed overnight, I want to ask you this question again. Thank you.

    NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

    Well again, obviously, we are in close contact with all our partners, particularly, of course, the Republic of Korea. And yesterday, we have been meeting here with the IP4 partners, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea. So we will certainly have that conversation with them to get all the evidence on the table. So at this moment, our official position is that we cannot confirm reports that North Koreans are actively now as soldiers engaged in the war effort. But this, of course, might change. And anyway, even if North Korea is not physically there at the battlefield, then still they are helping to fuel Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in every way they can. And together with others like Iran, China’s playing a role here, obviously, and of course, Russia itself.

    That’s from today.

  • YeetPics@mander.xyzEnglish
    13·
    1 month ago

    I wonder how Japan would feel about the country who is constantly testing ICBMs over their citizens and land having vulnerable soldiers ready for plucking from the world of the living?

    Maybe they’d like to come show their support for Ukraine just to be able to say hello to their Korean friends.

  • credo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    810·
    1 month ago

    were issued with fake ID cards of residents of the Yakutia and Buryatia, two regions in Siberia

    Yes, absolutely Serbian. You can tell because of the way they are.

  • P_P@lemm.eeEnglish
    615·
    1 month ago

    Let’s get the world war started. Human civilization is doomed from climate change anyway. Why draw it out? Let’s get it done in an hour.