{"id":2355793,"date":"2024-10-16T15:52:01","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T19:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-claims-north-korean-soldiers-being-sent-en-masse-to-fight-for-russia-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-16T15:53:57","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T19:53:57","slug":"ukraine-claims-north-korean-soldiers-being-sent-en-masse-to-fight-for-russia-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-claims-north-korean-soldiers-being-sent-en-masse-to-fight-for-russia-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine claims North Korean soldiers being sent en masse to fight for Russia &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fukraine-claims-north-korean-soldiers-being-sent-en-masse-to-fight-for-russia-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2355793&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Ukraine has accused North Korea of sending soldiers to support\u200c Russia in its ongoing\u2063 conflict against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that North Korea&#8217;s involvement \u200dincludes not\u200b only \u2063military personnel but also the transfer of weapons to Russia. He emphasized that Ukraine is effectively battling three countries: Russia, Iran, and North \u200dKorea. While reports from various news outlets and Ukrainian sources suggest\u2062 that several thousand \u200dNorth Korean troops could be stationed \u2064in Russia and potentially \u200bdeployed to the front lines in \u2064Ukraine, \u200bU.S.\u2062 officials have not confirmed direct North Korean military involvement.\u200c NATO Secretary General and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State have also \u2064acknowledged the ambiguity surrounding these claims.<\/p>\n<p>The situation has become contentious, with \u2064conflicting \u2063reports\u2064 on the extent of \u200cNorth Korean participation. For instance, an anonymous Ukrainian intelligence official mentioned that North Korean \u200dsoldiers are in Russia for training, while other sources claim that up to 10,000 troops have been sent, though their specific \u2063roles remain unclear. The Russian government has denied these allegations, labeling \u2063them \u2063as misinformation. \u2062Notably, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun \u200bsuggested that a military alliance between Russia and North \u200cKorea makes further troop involvement \u200cprobable. Meanwhile,\u2064 some Russian Telegram\u200c channels have dismissed the\u200b claims, mocking the narratives regarding North Korean soldiers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Ukraine claims North Korean soldiers being sent en masse to fight for Russia<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1683697\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Ukraine\">Ukraine<\/a> claimed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-korea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"North Korea\">North Korea<\/a> is sending soldiers to fight on the side of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Russia<\/a> in its war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Several Ukrainian sources have been claiming North Korean involvement in the war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky making the accusation on Wednesday without providing specifics.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, North Korean soldiers in historic uniforms march during a parade on the Kim II-Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo\/Wong Maye-E, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The coalition of criminals together with Putin currently includes North Korea &mdash; the Kim family, which enslaves more than 20 million of the Korean people. Our intelligence records not only the transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia but also the transfer of people,&rdquo; he&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.president.gov.ua\/news\/haj-nasha-spilna-robota-za-planom-peremogi-yaknajshvidshe-ob-93849\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>&nbsp;during a speech to the Ukrainian Rada, presenting his so-called victory plan.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These are workers for Russian factories, instead of Russians killed in the war, and personnel for the Russian army. This is the participation of the second state in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia,&rdquo; Zelensky added.<\/p>\n<p>He went so far as to say that Ukraine was at war with three countries: Russia, Iran, and North Korea.<\/p>\n<p>United States Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-south-korea-north-korea-russia-ukraine-campbell-103e27e415d8253c05d60514a0dec41a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"said\">said<\/a> the U.S. couldn&rsquo;t confirm Ukraine&rsquo;s claim of direct North Korean involvement. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also said the alliance couldn&rsquo;t confirm the claims at a briefing on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Post<\/em>, the <em>Guardian<\/em>, and several Ukrainian sources have all claimed the involvement, to varying degrees, of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine. Most disagree over the extent of involvement, with each giving different figures and details.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, a <em>Washington Post<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2024\/10\/11\/north-korea-russia-ukraine-military-cooperation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"report\">report<\/a>, citing an anonymous Ukrainian intelligence official, claimed that &ldquo;several thousand&rdquo; North Korean troops were training in Russia and could be deployed to the front line in Ukraine as early as this year. The North Korean soldiers who are on the ground are only there as observers, he said, with none seeing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-majority-of-americans-do-not-want-u-s-troops-fighting-russian-troops\/\" title=\"Poll: Majority Of Americans Do Not Want U.S. Troops Fighting Russian Troops\">direct combat<\/a> yet.<\/p>\n<p>An anonymous Western diplomat <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/north-korea-has-sent-10-000-soldiers-to-russia-western-source-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told\">told<\/a> the <em>Kyiv Independent<\/em> that North Korea had sent 10,000 soldiers, though their roles were unclear.<\/p>\n<p>A Russian dissident Telegram channel <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/kremlin_secrets\/4728\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"claimed\">claimed<\/a> that six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Donetsk, a claim boosted by a Ukrainian official. He said that the soldiers &ldquo;did not directly participate in combat, but they were military personnel already integrated.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The most direct claim is from <em>Ukrainska Pravda<\/em>, which, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-claims-north-korean-soldiers-being-sent-en-mass-to-fight-for-russia-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Ukraine claims North Korean soldiers being sent en mass to fight for Russia - Washington Examiner\">citing unnamed special services sources<\/a>, claimed that Russia was assembling a 3,000-strong force known as the &ldquo;Buryat Battalion.&rdquo; Buryats are a Siberian ethnic group of Mongolian origin who have become renowned for their fighting ability in Russia and alleged brutality in Ukraine. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.media-diversity.org\/the-savage-warriors-of-siberia-how-an-ethnic-minority-in-russia-came-to-be-unfairly-blamed-for-the-worst-war-crimes-in-ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"feature heavily\">feature heavily<\/a> as the targets of derision in Ukrainian media and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=P10A_pUP3jI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"nationalistic music\">nationalistic music<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said the reports of direct North Korean military involvement were &ldquo;highly likely,&rdquo; though his evidence was circumstantial.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Russia and North Korea have an agreement that is basically a military alliance, so it is highly likely that North Korea would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-may-send-more-u-s-troops-to-eastern-europe-beyond-the-8500-already-alerted\/\" title=\"Biden May Send More U.S. Troops To Eastern Europe Beyond The 8,500 Already Alerted\">send additional troops<\/a>,&rdquo; he told lawmakers. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how we&rsquo;re assessing it, and we will definitely prepare for it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims of North Korean involvement as &ldquo;fake news.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some Russian Telegram channels mocked the claims.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Real stealth soldiers. Everyone talks about the Koreans, but no one has seen them,&rdquo; the Wagner-linked Reverse Side of the Medal channel <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/rsotmdivision\/21355\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"quipped\">quipped<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>North Korea has one of the largest standing armies on Earth, with nearly 1.3 million active personnel and 600,000 reservists. However, its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dia.mil\/Portals\/110\/Documents\/News\/NKMP.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"quality\">quality<\/a> has come under question, wielding largely outdated Soviet-era equipment. The crippling poverty and dire living standards of the country have also brought into question the soldiers&rsquo; morale.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, some Russian and Ukrainian sources agree that the soldiers could be used to man inactive parts of the front line(s) in order to open up Russian troops for operations elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Eul-Chul Lim, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20241008-n-korean-soldiers-highly-likely-killed-in-ukraine-seoul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told AFP<\/a> that North Korea could see the war in Ukraine as an opportunity to give its military &ldquo;real-world combat experience.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This might even be a driving factor behind sending North Korean soldiers &mdash; to provide them with diverse experiences and wartime training,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Russia and North Korea have grown increasingly close following the former&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Pyongyang providing large amounts of war material for the Russian war effort, especially shells.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1683697\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1683697\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ukraine alleges North Korea is sending troops to support Russia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2355794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/North-Korea-Parade.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[5237,32109,4280,4187,6991],"class_list":["post-2355793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-conflict","tag-north-korea","tag-russia","tag-soldiers","tag-ukraine"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/North-Korea-Parade.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2355793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2355793"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2355793\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2355794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2355793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2355793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2355793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}