FACT OR FICTION: NORTH KOREA TO ENTER WAR IN UKRAINE

The Ukrainian war continues to internationalize. In recent weeks, Kiev and Western MSM threw a tantrum, spreading rumors of the deployment of North Korean troops in the Russian army. Over the years of the escalation, Pyongyang has frequently been accused of supporting Russia. The new information campaign is marked by a high level of coordination between different sides. The first reports about the transfer of North Korean soldiers to Ukraine were spread by Western media. A week later, when the news gained the headlines, Vladimir Zelensky and the head of Ukrainian military intelligence fueled the hysteria. According to Kiev, the North Koreans will be ready to fight after training by November. Then, the National Intelligence Service of South Korea claimed that the first batch of 1.5 thousand Korean soldiers were already transferred to Russia on four landing ships. The total number of sent troops is reportedly up to 12,000. To maintain secrecy, the North Koreans were allegedly provided with fake documents of Russian eastern peoples, like the Buryats and Yakuts. In order to mix foreigners with Russian soldiers, infantry from the DPRK was allegedly enrolled in a “special Buryat battalion” based on the 11th separate assault brigade from Ulan-Ude. Videos allegedly showing North Korean soldiers departing to Russia and training in the Russian eastern border regions were timely spread on social media. The number of rumors and doubtful reports from the Western side leaves many questions. At the moment, the deployment of the North Korean military in Ukraine has not yet been officially confirmed. However, it may be beneficial for both Moscow and Pyongyang, as well as Beijing. Russia and North Korea have signed a strategic partnership agreement. If the Koreans join the battle, Moscow has no need to launch new wave of mobilization and will further outnumber the Armed Forces of Ukraine. North Korean soldiers may be registered as volunteers, like thousands of NATO servicemen in the Ukrainian army. They may be deployed as cover units to reinforce Russian defense; or Korean troops may gain relevant combat experience of modern warfare if deployed as full-fledged army units on the frontlines. If it turns out to be true, following the Koreans, there may be much more numerous troops from other states, such as China, Indonesia and India, who may want to improve their combat experience. Meanwhile, for Beijing, which is well aware of any potential escalation in Ukraine and is mainly concerned of the Taiwan case, the internationalization of the war in Europe is extremely beneficial. In the case of critical threats to NATO in Europe, Washington will have to forget about the Pacific Ocean basin and put Europe back in the focus of its attention. While the Ukrainian battlefield will face a new stage of the fight of the global East against Western hegemony.