Are North Korean troops fighting for Russia against Ukraine?

The possibility that North Korean personnel are deployed in Russia cannot be ruled out, experts say.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech to parliament on Wednesday that North Korea was a de facto participant in the war in Ukraine, siding with Russia. He said that Ukrainian intelligence had found that Pyongyang was transferring not only weapons, but also soldiers to Moscow.

The deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea have earned condemnation from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The three countries on Wednesday announced a new team to monitor arms sanctions on North Korea.

So just how much is North Korea helping Russia, what’s the depth of their military cooperation, and to what extent does Moscow need Pyongyang’s help?

According to Ukraine and South Korea, yes.

On October 8, Seoul’s defence minister Kim Yong-hyun told South Korean politicians that it was “highly likely” that North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian strike near Donetsk on October 3.