For the first time since the 1950s, North Korean troops have been deployed to an active war zone. According to the United States, at least 8,000 North Korean soldiers are prepared to fight in the Russian territory of Kursk. The involvement of a second nuclear power in Russia’s war against Ukraine poses a threat of escalation and expansion of the conflict. Even before the soldiers set foot on the battlefield, they will have to contend with a language barrier, unfamiliar terrain, and military traditions that may be very different from their own. The U.S. government claimed that North Korean soldiers are ready to engage in combat in the Russian territory of Kursk.

U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Robert Wood stated in a Security Council briefing that information had been obtained indicating the presence of 8,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia. Wood asked his Russian counterpart, “Does Russia still claim that there are no North Korean troops on its soil?”

After initially denying the presence of troops, North Korea argued that the deployment of troops was in accordance with international law. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed expectations for North Korean troops in the Kursk region of Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. Blinken made these remarks following North Korea conducting its longest ever intercontinental ballistic missile test in the early hours of Thursday.

South Korea warned that Pyongyang could obtain missile technology from Russia in exchange for assistance in the Ukrainian war. Officials suggest that regardless of their roles, North Korean troops will enable Russia to maintain a stronger presence in eastern Ukraine, potentially allowing them to seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible before the harsh winter weather sets in.

The troops are part of an elite unit of the Korean People’s Army. According to Ukraine, at least five formations of North Korean troops, each consisting of 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers, have arrived in the region and are planned to be integrated into Russian troops to conceal their presence. Ukraine identified Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, who commands special forces units including the “Storm Corps” sent to Russia as claimed by South Korean intelligence services, as a high-ranking general leading the troops. North Korean troops have not been involved in any wars since the 1950s. They will have to cope with a language barrier, unfamiliar terrain, and military traditions that may be vastly different, even before entering the battlefield.