Russia wants to engage military from DPRK to form five regiments: Ukraine’s OSCE representative

Russia plans to create at least five motorised rifle regiments with the participation of North Korean soldiers, each with a strength of 2,000 to 3,000 people, including them in units staffed by representatives of ethnic minorities from the Asian regions of Russia.

According to Ukrinform, this was stated by Victoria Kuvshynnykova, Acting Permanent Representative of Ukraine to International Organisations in Vienna, during a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council and the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, which was dedicated to the involvement of DPRK military personnel to support Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

‘The available information indicates that Russia plans to create at least five formations using DPRK military personnel, each of which will consist of 2-3 thousand people. Such a formation would be equivalent to a motorised infantry regiment. It should be noted that in order to conceal their presence in Russia, the North Korean military will be integrated into units manned by representatives of ethnic minorities from the Asian part of Russia,’ Kuvshinnikova explained.

According to available information, about 12,000 North Korean military personnel are currently undergoing training at five training grounds in Russia’s Eastern Military District, including 500 officers and three generals of the DPRK Army General Staff.

‘The first DPRK military units have already arrived in the war zone. In particular, on 23 October, they were spotted in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. Three thousand North Korean troops were deployed at Russian training grounds in the immediate vicinity of the combat zone,’ said the representative of Ukraine to the OSCE.

Kuvshynnykova stressed that the direct involvement of North Korean military personnel in Russia indicates that the strategic partnership between the two countries has reached a new level, far beyond the simple transfer of weapons.

‘First of all, let’s be clear, any state that deploys its troops together with Russian troops violates the prohibition on the use of force enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, as does the Russian Federation itself. In addition, Russia’s military cooperation with the DPRK contradicts numerous UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit both the purchase of weapons for the DPRK and the provision of military training,’ Kuvshinnikova added.

She also noted that the intensification of cooperation between Russia and the DPRK raises the question of whether such interaction is consistent with the policy of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. And the prospects for a long-term alliance between Russia and North Korea have far-reaching implications for global stability, from the OSCE to the Indo-Pacific region.

‘Russia’s actions should not go unpunished. And by this we mean more than just political condemnation. The Kremlin has repeatedly demonstrated that the only language the Russian Federation understands is the language of force. In this regard, we expect a decisive and concrete response from the international community, including a significant strengthening of Ukraine’s military capabilities, lifting of restrictions on the use of supplied weapons, and crippling sanctions aimed at Moscow and Pyongyang’s military assets,’ Kuvshynnikova concluded.