North Korea Sends Additional Troops to Russia Amid Ukraine Conflict

North Korea has sent an additional 3,000 troops to Russia to compensate for losses in the Ukraine war, where their forces suffered high casualties. The collaboration includes supplying Russia with military hardware in exchange for resources. North Korean troops had previously been deployed to assist Russian forces in counteroffensives against Ukrainian advances.

In early 2023, North Korea dispatched approximately 3,000 additional troops to Russia to help mitigate losses sustained in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. This information was reported by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 27, highlighting ongoing military collaboration between North Korea and Russia amid the war.

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that North Korean forces engaged in combat for Russia have incurred around 4,000 casualties, with a distressing two-thirds of these being fatalities. The elevated loss rate is attributed to North Korea’s inexperience in combat and a tactical reliance on overwhelming human wave assaults, combined with inadequate military equipment.

Moreover, North Korea is reportedly supplying Russia with various military assets, including short-range ballistic missiles, 170 mm self-propelled howitzers, and 240 mm multiple rocket launchers, further solidifying their role as a crucial military ally for Moscow.

In exchange for military support, North Korea has received essential resources from Russia, such as oil products and advanced rocket technology. Previously, up to 12,000 North Korean troops were stationed in Kursk Oblast to assist Russian forces in responding to Ukrainian advances that began in August 2024. Ukrainian forces had initially captured 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory before the counteroffensive enabled by North Korean troops, leading to substantial recoveries, including the city of Sudzha.

The involvement of North Korean troops in the Russia-Ukraine conflict illustrates the deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia amidst significant troop losses. North Korea’s support, both in manpower and military resources, reinforces Russia’s efforts to regain lost territory while highlighting the challenges faced by North Korean forces in combat situations.

Original Source: kyivindependent.com