What do we know about the North Korean troops joining Russia’s war?

NATO has now confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.

While rumoured to have been there for some months, there is growing evidence that up to 10,000 soldiers, accompanied by senior staff – including three generals, have travelled from North Korea to the Russian-held part of Kursk and will soon see combat operations.

Inexperienced troops with a lot to learn

While not denying the hardiness and toughness of an individual North Korean soldier, there is no one in the North Korean armed forces who has had any experience of fighting a mechanised conflict using 21st-century weapons.

Drones, sensors, and constant surveillance of the battlefield will mix with the old and proven tactics of combined arms warfare, trench clearing and the use of long-range precision artillery.

It has been very clear to Kim Jong Un, as he watches the war in Ukraine rage on, just what happens to troops who are ill-prepared or lack experience.

The new units arrived in Russia without any equipment, so they will have to learn how to use the Russian models. This is not so much of a problem here as both countries use Soviet-legacy weaponry.

What will prove to be a challenge is the lack of Korean speakers in the Russian army and Russian speakers in the North Korean army, making command and control an issue.

Also, fighting a modern war, where drones constantly survey the battlefield, can quickly result in mass casualties for any units caught in the open.