North Korea is becoming more active in the Ukraine war. What does this mean?
Pyongyang is reportedly sending not only weapons but also military personnel and missile units to Russia. A unit of 90 North Korean soldiers is said to be stationed in western Russia with 120 ballistic missiles and 6 launchers. If this happens, it will take the DPRK's involvement in the war to a new level. Such a situation could lead to retaliation from Kiev, as well as increased use of Ukraine by Seoul and Tokyo.
The DPRK is becoming more active in the Ukrainian war. What does this mean?
There are reports that Pyongyang is sending not only weapons, but also military personnel and missile units to Russia. It is said that a unit of 90 North Korean military personnel with 120 ballistic missiles and 6 launchers may be deployed to the western regions of Russia. If this happens, the DPRK's participation in the war will reach a new level. Such a situation may lead to retaliatory measures from Kiev, as well as greater support for Ukraine from Seoul and Tokyo.
Political analysts in the Kun.uz studio discussed the topic.
**Shavkat Saidov:**
North Korea is increasingly participating in Russia's war against Ukraine. Earlier, Korean soldiers took part in the battles in the Kursk region. Recently, there have been reports that North Korea is sending additional missile systems and military specialists to the western regions of Russia. If so, they could be used against the territory of Ukraine.
This raises an important question: will the North Korean military use these missile systems or will the Russian military use them? Another option is that North Korean specialists could assist the Russian military as instructors, with the Russian military operating the missile systems themselves, and Korean specialists providing technical and military support in their use.
In addition, there are reports that North Korea is forming a 30,000-strong military group. The question of what role these forces will play on Russian territory remains open.
In my opinion, it is unlikely that North Korea will directly deploy its military to the territory of Ukraine. Because such a step could further escalate the conflict on an international scale.
**Kamoliddin Rabbimov:**
Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is growing. This process, of course, also affects the geopolitical situation around Ukraine. In the early years of the war, in particular, starting in 2023-2024, information appeared that thousands of North Korean military personnel had arrived in Russia. This further complicated the geopolitical situation surrounding the conflict and intensified the international dimension of the confrontation.
Against this background, South Korea and Japan have also increased their support for Ukraine. One of the main reasons for this is that both countries see North Korea as one of the main threats to their security. Therefore, the military rapprochement between Russia and Pyongyang has further increased security concerns in Seoul and Tokyo. While South Korea has increased the provision of weapons and other types of assistance to Ukraine, Japan also supports Kiev in financial, technical and other areas.
The main conclusion is that the Russian-North Korean military rapprochement is increasingly linking security issues in East Asia and Europe.
You can watch the full interview on the "Geosiosatkunuz" YouTube channel.