Russia has deployed 28 planes to transfer the North Korean soldiers
2 November, 2024 Russian Il-76 aircraft during a training exercise in 2018. Russia. Photo credits: Russian Defense Ministry
Russia is moving North Korean fighters with the help of at least 28 military transport planes of its Air Force. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (DIU) stated that in the last week of October, Russia transferred more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers. They were transferred by air from the coastal regions of Russia to areas near Ukraine.
The North Koreans were armed, in particular, with 60 mm mortars, AK-12 rifles, RPK/PKM machine guns, SVD/SVF sniper rifles, Phoenix anti-tank systems, and RPG-7s. In the DPRK, the Soviet 9M113 Konkurs ATGM has the Korean designation Phoenix-2 and is used in conjunction with the Bassoon anti-tank systems, which are designated Phoenix-1.
A North Korean soldier firing a Phoenix-2 ATGM.
Photo credits: North Korean National Television
The North Koreans were also given night vision devices, thermal imagers, collimator sights and binoculars. "In the Russian army, they are called 'special Buryats,'" a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine shared. The North Korean troops, whom Russia has decided to enlist in the war against Ukraine, are being trained at five training grounds in the far east of Russia.
Namely, at the following training grounds:
- "Baranovsky" (Ussuriysk);
- "Donguz (Ulan-Ude);
- "Yekaterinoslavsky (Yekaterinoslavka);
- 248th (Knyazhe-Volkonskoye);
- 249th (Sergeyevka).
It takes several weeks for the North Korean troops to get organized.
The DPRK military. Source: flickr.com
According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the number of North Korean troops deployed to Russia is now about 12,000, including 500 officers, as well as three Pyongyang generals.
Moscow has appointed Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov as responsible for overseeing the training and adaptation of the North Korean troops.
In light of these actions, Ukraine will officially request military assistance from South Korea.