North Korean troops secretly transported to Russia for Ukraine war

Western intelligence estimates that around 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia since late 2023. (Courtesy: Reuters file photo)

Hundreds of North Korean soldiers were likely transported by sea to Russia to fight in its war against Ukraine, according to a new analysis from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, as reported by CNN.

Evidence of covert troop transfers

Satellite images analysed by the US-based think tank indicate that at least two Russian naval vessels moved North Korean troops to a Russian military port in Dunai in October and November. The transfers, first identified by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), were conducted under strict secrecy to avoid detection.

According to Sam Lair, a research associate at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, both Russia and North Korea have taken significant measures to prevent these troop movements from being caught on camera. "The secrecy element is quite remarkable," Lair told CNN.

Satellite imagery reveals Russian involvement

Researchers verified that during the period cited by South Korean intelligence, the Russian naval landing ships identified in the report docked at Dunai, a remote eastern military facility in Russia. North Korean troops are believed to have boarded these vessels at night, making direct visual evidence scarce. However, satellite images captured activities at Dunai that suggest the presence of North Korean soldiers.

For instance, an image from October 17 shows a crane extended to a Russian landing ship believed to be the Nikolay Vilkov, with a covered cargo truck nearby. By October 20, the crane was retracted, indicating a completed transfer. Researchers identified the vessels as Ropucha-class and Alligator-class ships based on previous photos captured by Japan’s Defence Ministry in March 2022.

A secure and strategic location

Dunai is a restricted military zone, making it an ideal location for secret military movements. Lair explained that using Dunai instead of a more visible port like Vladivostok allows Russia to conduct these operations away from prying eyes.

"This is an isolated place where they can do these exchanges, where people aren't going to notice… (where) their own citizens, and folks in the intelligence community might not notice," Lair said.

Western intelligence estimates that around 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia since late 2023, with about 4,000 of them killed or injured in combat. Ukrainian officials claim to have captured at least two North Korean soldiers, but neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has confirmed their presence on the front lines.

Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea

Dunai has been a crucial transit point for Russian-North Korean cooperation since Pyongyang began supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2023. Satellite images from October show a cargo ship being loaded at Rajin port in North Korea and later docking at Dunai, indicating a continuous flow of supplies.

A report from the UK-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) stated that Russia had likely begun shipping North Korean munitions at scale, utilizing Dunai’s secluded location for these operations. Additional imagery confirmed that the cargo ship Angara was loaded in North Korea on October 27 and arrived in Dunai on October 29.

North Korea's military gains from the conflict

According to CNN, North Korea is not only supplying weapons but is also gaining valuable combat experience. Alyona Getmanchuk, director of the New Europe Center think tank in Kyiv, stated that Pyongyang is refining its missile technology and battlefield strategies based on its involvement in Ukraine.

"It's not only about supplies of missiles, it's about testing their missiles in real battlefield conditions," Getmanchuk said at a forum in Seoul. She added that North Korean ground troops, initially unprepared, have quickly adapted to modern warfare.

Deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang

Lair emphasized that the North Korea-Russia relationship has grown stronger since the war in Ukraine began. "Sending your own soldiers to fight in someone else's conflict really suggests the strength of the connection," he noted.

Although Russia and North Korea may have discontinued sea-based troop transfers, South Korean intelligence has reported frequent Russian military flights between Vladivostok and Pyongyang, indicating ongoing cooperation between the two nations.