What do we know about the participation of North Korean soldiers in the war in Ukraine?

The president of USA Joe Biden, authorized for the first time that Ukraine may use long-range missiles provided by its country to carry out attacks on the territory of Russia .

US officials shared the information with New York Times and they assured that part of their government’s decision was due to the incorporation of troops North Korea in the Russian ranks .

This measure increased tensions with the Kremlin, to the point that, Just two days after the approval became known, President Vladimir Putin updated the nuclear doctrine of his country.

It is the document that establishes the conditions under which Russia could decide to use its arm nuclear .

A few hours later, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine conducted a stroke with American-made missiles against Russian territory .

More than two and a half years after the start of the war, The support of North Korean soldiers for Russian troops has been positioned as one of the most worrying points. for Kyiv and its Western allies.

In fact, even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted for months that the use of long-range missiles be allowed to attack targets in Russia, The Biden administration’s authorization came after news of the arrival of troops from Pyongyang. cooperate with forces commanded by the Kremlin.

Already By October, the first reports had started to appear that the North Korean army was preparing to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, even after the United States and Ukraine accused North Korean troops of already engaging in combat with Ukrainian soldiers, there are still doubts on their participation in the conflict.

Initially it was reported that around 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russia during his invasion of Ukraine.

Although estimates are still debated tend to be close to this figure, according to the international news agency, P.A. .

A report of Bloomberg cites anonymous sources close to the situation, who They assume that North Korea could deploy up to 100,000 troops. .

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang provided details. on the participation of North Korean soldiers in the war.

Data retrieved by the BBC they assure that North Korea has one of the largest armed forces in the world, with a total of 1.28 million active troops. .

However, unlike the Russian army, They do not have recent experience in combat operations .

In fact, Pyongyang’s forces have not participated in large-scale conflicts since the Korean War which took place between June 1950 and July 1953.

The think tank’s defense and security specialist Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Mark Cancian, told the aforementioned media outlets that he believes his troops They are “completely indoctrinated, but poorly prepared” .

Yet Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence services have stated that Many of the North Korean troops deployed are among the best Pyongyang has. .

Concretely, it is indicated that they belong to the 11th Corps, a unit specialized in sabotage, assassinations and infiltrations .

The think tank’s North Korea specialist Stimson Center Michael Madden, explained to BBC who are “trained to endure a high degree of physical pain and psychological torture” .

“What they lack in combat, they make up for in what they can tolerate physically and mentally. » he added.

Cancian said he agreed with his assessments and that “If these are special operations forces, they will be much better prepared than the average North Korean unit” .

And to this is added, according to the CSIS expert, that “the Russians They seem to give them extra training probably on the particular circumstances of the war in Ukraine.”

Retired South Korean Army Lieutenant General Chun In-bum told the aforementioned media: These North Korean troops could be among the “most capable” Russia has .

With this he alluded to Kremlin efforts to recruit more soldiers for their ranks.

According to NATO and Western military officials, Russia recruits at least 20,000 new recruits per month, while more than 1,000 people are killed or injured on average every day. .

Chun assured that the country presided over by Putin “he sends troops to the front without adequate training” .

“Compared to these recruits, North Koreans are trained and motivated . They are not ready for combat yet, but they will be soon.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, The Kremlin and Kim Jong-un’s regime have strengthened their ties .

Even the two countries They have a mutual defense treaty which was signed in June following a summit in Pyongyang then ratified at the beginning of November.

The document considers the commitment of the parties to come to the aid of the other in the event of an armed attack .

The director of the consulting firm specializing in studies and analyzes Korean Risk Group Andrei Lankov, assured BBC that Russia needs manpower, while North Korea needs money and technology. that their allies can deliver to them.

He assured that, for Pyongyang, Deploying troops is “a good way to make money” .

According to South Korean intelligence, Each soldier’s participation is worth approximately $2,000 per month. .

Most of this money should be paid in the hands of the North Korean state .

Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said: P.A. that the leader of the North Korean regime could consider sending his troops as an opportunity for your soldiers to familiarize themselves with the latest weapons technology than those they own.

And also, so that they can test your abilities struggle.

Other specialists consulted by the aforementioned agency suggested that It is likely that the Kremlin promised North Korea to provide it with military technology that could serve its nuclear and ballistic programs. .

The academic of Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Lami Kim, posed in front BBC that “Faced with the more than 1,000 daily casualties Russia is reportedly suffering on the battlefield, reducing its own losses could alleviate some pressure on the Putin regime” .