North Korea uses war in Ukraine to test its military capabilities, ISW says
Pravda Ukraine
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that “North Korea is using the war in Ukraine as a testing ground for its own military capabilities”.
Source: ISW
Quote from ISW: “Russia may be providing drone and missile technology to North Korea in exchange for North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast.”
Details: The Japanese TV channel NHK, citing numerous sources familiar with Russian-North Korean relations, reported on 8 February that Russia had agreed to help North Korea develop and mass-produce various types of drones in exchange for North Korean troops supporting Russia’s military actions against Ukraine.
NHK notes that Russia is reluctant to assist North Korea in developing nuclear weapons, fearing that North Korean nuclear tests could further strain relations with the United States and complicate ties with China.
On 8 February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia was deliberately transferring modern technology to North Korea, including drone technology. On 7 February, he told Reuters that thousands of North Korean troops had resumed active combat operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast after a brief pause.
On 8 February, a Ukrainian brigade deployed in Kursk Oblast released a video depicting North Korean soldiers conducting attacks together with Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.
Recent reports from South Korean sources suggested that Russia had withdrawn North Korean troops from the battlefield in Kursk Oblast in mid-January 2025, likely for rest and recovery or to reassess their role in Russian operations.
Quote: “ISW assesses that North Korea is using the war in Ukraine as a testing ground for its own military capabilities.
Reuters reported on 6 February that North Korean ballistic missiles fired by Russian forces since December 2024 have demonstrated significantly improved accuracy, likely an example of North Korean capability enhancement gained through the North Korea-Russia alliance.”
To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 8 February:
- Russia may be providing drone and missile technology to North Korea in exchange for North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast.
- Russia continues to expand its military capabilities, indicating that the Kremlin has no immediate interest in negotiations or a lasting peace with Ukraine.
- The Russian command may be redeploying forces from the Kurakhove direction towards Toretsk in order to facilitate Russian offensive operations against Kostiantynivka in Spring or Summer 2025.
- The Baltic states cut ties with the Soviet-era power grid that connected them to Belarus and Russia on 8 February as part of efforts to achieve full energy independence from Russia and further integrate their energy infrastructure with the European Union (EU).
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar and Russian forces recently advanced near Kupiansk, Lyman and Toretsk.
- The Kremlin continues efforts to incentivise Russian citizens to serve in the military.
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