South Korea’s spy agency says North Korea sending troops to Russia

Russian navy ships moved 1,500 North Korean soldiers to Vladivostok, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed.

North Korea has dispatched troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, South Korea’s spy agency has said.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed in a statement on Friday that Russian navy ships transferred 1,500 North Korean special operations forces to the Russian port city of Vladivostok from October 8 to October 13.

It said more North Korean soldiers are expected to be sent to Russia soon. The development could draw a third country into the conflict and further escalate tensions between North Korea and the West.

The NIS reported that North Korean soldiers sent to Russia have been provided with Russian military uniforms, weapons and forged identification documents. Currently stationed at military bases in Vladivostok and other locations such as Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk, they are expected to be deployed to combat zones once their training is complete.

The spy agency posted on its website satellite and other photos showing what it called Russian navy ship movements near a North Korean port and suspected North Korean mass gatherings in Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk in the past week.