In a recent publication by the online news outlet Fatshimetrie, footage was recently released showing North Korean soldiers receiving uniforms and equipment at a training ground in the Russian Far East. This scene appears to confirm reports from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service that 1,500 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia for military training in preparation for deployment in Ukraine.
These North Korean troops are expected to undergo training before being sent to the front lines in Ukraine, representing a tangible sign of the increasingly warm relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.
In a video shared with Fatshimetrie by the Ukrainian government organization, the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security, a long line of soldiers can be seen waiting to receive their uniforms. Although the soldiers appear to be speaking Korean, the poor audio quality prevented a clear understanding of their conversations.
Upon arrival in Russia, North Korean recruits were asked to fill out a questionnaire indicating their sizes for hats, headgear, uniforms, and shoes. In a copy of the questionnaire shared with Fatshimetrie, the top of the form is written in Russian while the various size options are written in Korean.
Another video circulating on social media, geotagged by Fatshimetrie, shows troops arriving at the Sergeevka training ground near the Russia-China border. 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 here. Here are the new reinforcements. This is just the beginning. There are more.”
This appears to confirm Kyiv’s long-standing concerns that North Korea is preparing to play a more direct role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Russia’s deepening alliance with North Korea, telling a NATO summit this week that “thousands” of North Korean troops were on their way to Russia.
“According to the intelligence I have… they are preparing 10,000 troops, different soldiers, ground forces, technical personnel,” Zelensky told reporters, describing it as an “urgent” development that he raised with the United States.
South Korean media have previously reported that the North would send a total of 12,000 troops, though that figure was not included in the state intelligence service’s statement.
The potential intervention would mark the first time North Korea has played a significant role in an international conflict. North Korea has one of the world’s largest armies with 1.2 million soldiers, but many of its troops lack combat experience.
Several governments have accused Pyongyang of supplying arms to Moscow for its ruthless war in Ukraine, a charge both countries have denied despite significant evidence of such transfers.
The two nations, both persona non grata in the West, have forged increasingly warm ties since Russia’s invasion.
During Putin’s visit to the North Korean capital in June, the two countries pledged to use all possible means to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an attack by either, part of a historic defense pact the autocratic nations agreed to.
Putin said during the trip that the two countries were taking their relations to a “new level.”
In remarks ahead of the talks between the two sides, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his “full support and solidarity with the struggles of the Russian government, military and people,” specifically highlighting Moscow’s war in Ukraine “to protect its own sovereignty, security and territorial stability.”