Dictators Kim Jong-un and putin recently signed a document on strategic cooperation, after which it was reported that North Korea may send its troops to Ukraine to help the russian army. Find out how realistic this scenario is and why russia needs engineering troops when it has enough of its own

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North Korea seems to be sending its troops to the occupied areas of Donetsk region. The deployment may take place as early as next month, according to the Institute for the Study of War. 

The information about sending North Korean soldiers to Ukraine was first reported by the South Korean TV network TV Chosum. If we talk about numbers, we can talk about three or four engineering brigades. It should be understood that, for example, in the Ukrainian army, one brigade has about 5,000 soldiers.

According to journalists, the North Korean army can receive up to $115 million annually from Moscow for "engineering work".

Are DPRK troops being used at the front?

According to ISW analysts, there is no reason to believe that North Korean military personnel intend to take part in hostilities in Ukraine. However, direct engineering support from the DPRK could free up some russian forces for operations along the front line and contribute to russia's efforts to expand military infrastructure and defensive fortifications in the occupied territory of Ukraine.

It also notes that russia seems to be seeking to create a coalition of friendly states with historically warm ties to the former Soviet Union, including North Korea and Vietnam, to "form the basis of an alternative world order."

What is important to understand?

The fact is that information about the sending of military engineers from the DPRK to Ukraine began to emerge immediately after putin's visit to North Korea, where he signed a strategic partnership agreement with dictator Kim Jong-un. This document provides for mutual assistance in the event of an attack on one of the signatories, and obliges the countries to cooperate in defence and military technology, as well as in economics and science.

In response to this step, South Korea said it would reconsider its position on arms supplies to Ukraine if russia starts transferring weapons to the DPRK.

In fact, nothing changes for Ukraine in this situation, as North Korea had been helping russia with weapons by supplying ammunition and ballistic missiles even before the signing of this document.

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How did Ukraine react?

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, criticised the lack of reaction from our partners on his Telegram channel.

"Not only has the DPRK quietly withdrawn from global sanctions and is actively engaged in military cooperation with russia, it is now directly sending special engineer troops to participate directly in the war against Ukraine on the side of the aggressor. And? And nothing. Silence," he wrote.

Podoliak noted that instead of responding, the UN invites russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, who is under "tough" personal sanctions, to a "peacekeeping summit" to discuss "peacekeeping" in public.

Why does russia need engineers from the DPRK if it has its own?

The military portal Defense Express writes that during the mobilisation of 2022, russia was able to form at least five new engineering regiments, and thus the occupiers created a fairly large set of forces and means that allows them to build quite powerful fortifications in a short time.

By last autumn alone, the russians were able to build fortifications with a total length of 6,000 kilometres.

The portal calls the information about North Korean engineers being sent "strange", but does not rule out that the DPRK may send manpower to russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. The Kremlin may need them for assault missions.

Earlier, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder also did not rule out such a scenario and said that North Korean troops would become "cannon fodder" if they were sent to fight alongside the russian invaders.

We remind you! The head of the kremlin said that he was "ready to sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine even tomorrow" and put forward an official proposal to the West. What exactly is putin's proposal and why he spoke so abruptly about a truce, we will tell you here.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

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