Ukrainian intelligence officials have confirmed on Wednesday that North Korean soldiers including special forces are around 30 miles from their border.
The Financial Times reported there is a few hundred special forces among 3,000 troops from the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Kurck Oblast region.
Ukraine has said there is around 12,000 North Korean soldiers whilst US intelligence has estimated the number being closer to 10,000 troops.
The FT reported that Ukrainian intelligence remain sceptical over their combat readiness and officials have reported there is language barriers which will cause concerns in the Kremlin over their effectiveness in the battlefield.
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Ukrainian intelligence has said the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) soldiers are inexperienced and are of low-rank infantry who have most likely never left North Korea and are not prepared for war against highly trained and battle-hardened Ukrainian troops, therefore are at best nothing more than “cannon fodder.”
On Tuesday the South Korean President has warned Kyiv that North Korean troops could be deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine “sooner than expected.”
Lee Seong-kweun did not say when the DPRK will arrive, but said there will likely be language barriers which could affect their effectiveness on the frontlines.
Reuters reported, Lee said, “The Russian military was teaching the North Korean military some 100 Russian military terms such as ‘back to your position,’ ‘fire’ and ‘launch’… but the North Korean military was struggling (to understand).”
Former North Korean soldiers who defected and are living in permanently in South Korea have contacted the Ukrainian embassy in Seoul to offer their influence to help Kyiv as Russia has deployed the DPRK soldiers to the battlefield.
The South China Morning Post reports on Monday that former North Korean soldiers have offered their services and experience to act as “psychological warfare agents” for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).
Lee Min-bok, one of the initiative’s key figures, told the Ukrainian embassy in Seoul, “North Korean soldiers are there essentially as mercenaries, but we would go as volunteers with a goodwill mission.
“Simply our presence in Ukraine could significantly impact the morale of North Korean troops.”
The Kyiv Independent reported, Ahn Chan-il, who leads the World Institute for North Korea Studies said, “We are all military veterans who understand North Korea’s military culture and psychological state better than anyone else.
“We’re ready to go wherever needed to work as psychological warfare agents – through loudspeaker broadcasts, distributing leaflets, and even acting as interpreters.”
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