North Korean military engineers have reportedly been sent to assist Russian forces in their efforts to target Ukraine with ballistic missiles. According to senior officials in Kyiv and Seoul, teams of North Koreans are working behind Russian lines, specifically supporting the launcher systems for KN-23 missiles.
The deployment follows a summit last year between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they strengthened their ties through a secret arms deal. North Korean ammunition shipments have been crucial in helping Russian forces maintain their offensive during the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. However, it now appears that the cooperation extends beyond mere supply of weapons and ammunition.
Recent reports indicate that North Koreans have already been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk. It remains unclear whether those killed were military engineers or other personnel. South Korea’s Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun, stated that it is “highly likely” North Korean officers are fighting alongside Russian troops, with several casualties reported.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, confirmed on Telegram that some North Koreans had died in the conflict. In a separate incident, the Ukrainian military reported destroying North Korean ammunition in a strike on a depot in Russia’s Bryansk region, about 60 miles from the Ukrainian border.
The involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict provides an opportunity for Pyongyang to test its weapons and gain valuable combat experience. According to Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, this deployment allows North Korea to learn how to operate various weapons systems and acquire real-world battlefield training.
Despite the poor quality and reliability of North Korean arms, they have played a significant role in sustaining Russian artillery operations against Ukraine. Estimates suggest that North Korea has supplied around half of the larger-caliber ammunition used on the battlefield this year, totaling over 2 million rounds. The KN-23 missiles, comparable to Russia’s Iskander-M missiles, have been employed in numerous strikes throughout Ukraine.
As both nations seek to bolster their military capabilities, Pyongyang is believed to be seeking Russian assistance for its struggling spy satellite program in exchange for its military hardware.
