North Korea plans to send kamikaze drones and additional troops to Russia
Photo: illustrative / Reuters
North Korea is likely preparing to deploy additional troops in the Russian Federation and provide the Kremlin with military equipment, including kamikaze drones. Russia will use the contingent and weapons supplied by Pyongyang in the war against Ukraine.
Yonhap News Agency reported that.
The intelligence services of South Korea recently conducted an assessment regarding the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to Russia amidst the latter's aggressive military actions against Ukraine. This was prompted by reports of casualties among North Korean troops in the hostilities.
The South Korean intelligence agency reports that the DPRK military has suffered approximately 1,100 casualties. Whether these are fatalities, injuries, or a combination of both is not specified.
"A comprehensive assessment of multiple intelligence shows that North Korea is preparing to rotate or increase the deployment of troops (in Russia), while currently supplying 240 millimeter rocket launchers and 170 mm self-propelled artillery," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement on Monday, December 23.
The South Korean military also said there were "some indications" that North Korea was moving to produce and supply kamikaze drones, which were "first introduced during Kim Jong-un's (North Korean leader) inspection in November."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff explained the move as Pyongyang's efforts to gain practical experience in warfare and modernize its conventional weapons system.
Last month, North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong-un had supervised testing multiple kamikaze drones.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the testing of kamikaze drones. Photo: Yonhap
The North Korean dictator also called for full-scale production of this type of weapon, which is becoming increasingly important in modern warfare due to its cost-effectiveness.
It should be noted that earlier, The New York Times wrote that the DPRK probably earned up to $5.5 billion from arms deals with Russia. In addition, North Korea may receive up to $572 million a year from deploying its troops in the Russian Federation.
As reported, Pyongyang is expanding a key weapons production complex where short-range missiles are assembled. North Korea is transferring these missiles to the Russian Federation.
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It should be noted that the Russian Federation continues to deepen bilateral relations with Iran and North Korea in exchange for providing lethal assistance to its army for use against Ukraine.
On June 19, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership. The agreement provides for mutual military assistance in the event of aggression against Pyongyang or Moscow.
Also, according to available information, a DPRK military contingent of up to 12 thousand people is undergoing training at five training grounds of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. This contingent includes at least 500 officers from North Korea, including three generals from the General Staff.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korea has already transferred 100 short-range ballistic missiles and over 100 artillery systems to Russia.
It was also reported that Russian troops have already used about 60 North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles against Ukraine.
According to a report by Defense Express on December 22, the Russian Federation might obtain ballistic missiles from North Korea with a range of over 1,000 km. This report was backed up by a recent video that emerged on the internet, showing another shipment of North Korean weapons and military equipment passing through the Tyumen region.
It is worth adding that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin seeks to create a coalition of countries to position the association as a real alternative to NATO.
