WASHINGTON: A senior U.S. administration official has confirmed that thousands of North Korean troops have been sent to Russia for training purposes. The official, speaking in response to a query from Yonhap News Agency, stated that the United States is currently unaware of the specific mission these troops are intended for, but highlighted potential implications for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the senior official elaborated via email that the presence of North Korean troops in Russia could indicate increasing desperation on the part of President Vladimir Putin amid significant Russian casualties in Ukraine. The official noted that Russia’s reliance on manpower from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea’s official name, may reflect weakness rather than strength from the Kremlin.
Earlier in the day, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed lawmakers on the issue, revealing that approximately 3,000 North Korean soldiers are believe
d to have already been dispatched to Russia. The NIS projected that this number could reach 10,000 by December. The details of this deployment were shared during a closed-door meeting of South Korea’s parliamentary intelligence committee.
While the exact purpose of the North Korean troops’ training in Russia remains unclear, the situation underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding the conflict in Ukraine and the broader international responses to it.