Where were the North Korean troops seen in Russia? | World news

Although North Korea has been supplying Russia with weapons for some time, the arrival of the troops is a significant escalation of its involvement in the war with Ukraine.

The first official evidence that large numbers of North Korean troops are entering Russia came from the South Korean government, which issued a press release last week describing increasingly close military cooperation between the two nations.

According to a press release, an initial contingent of 1,500 North Korean special forces personnel was delivered by Russian Navy ships to the port city of Vladivostok.

The South Koreans have released two high-resolution satellite images that they say show these troops are at two sites in Russia.

The first shows a crowd of what the South Korean government estimates to be 400 people gathered in an open space inside a Russian military base near the city of Ussuriysk, 98 kilometers north of Vladivostok.

The second image shows a smaller number of people, which the South Korean government says are about 250 North Korean soldiers.

This image was taken further north than the first. It shows an area that appears to be a military facility near the city of Khabarovsk in the far east of Russia.

The footage is circulating in the network

Against the background of reports about the entry of North Koreans into Russia, several videos have been widely distributed.

While Sky News cannot confirm they show North Korean troops, one shows a group of soldiers of East Asian appearance. The person making the video claims they are North Koreans, calling them “allies.”

This video has been geolocated by Sky News to the city of Serhiivka in the far east of Russia.

A second video taken nearby shows a group of soldiers training in a field at the same location.

The video taken from the wall is too grainy to visually identify the soldiers, but many say it shows North Korean troops.

The third video released by the Ukrainian government shows the equipment of the troops. Although it is impossible to geo-locate this video, the presence of boxes labeled in Russian has been cited as evidence that North Korean troops are in Russia.

What satellite images can tell us

While currently available videos don’t tell the full story, more can be learned from satellite imagery.

A photo taken by Maxar from a location in Serhiyivka shows the sudden appearance of trenches on the territory of the base in early October.

Later this month, the assembled equipment can be seen in the area south of the facility, indicating its use. This coincides with reports of troop arrivals in the area and the emergence of videos, and is consistent with reports that the North Koreans are training in the area.

Available satellite imagery appears to show that a training ground nearby in Lyfarivka is also currently in use.

A comparison of low- and high-resolution images taken in October shows that several huts have been renovated at the site.

Training trenches and signs of activity can be seen in high-resolution images taken on October 24.

Fighting on the Ukrainian fronts often involves the use of trenches similar to those we saw on both sides.

The flag of North Korea appears on the front line

Amid reports that North Korean troops are preparing for hostilities in Ukraine, an image showing a North Korean flag next to a Russian flag has gone viral.

Sky News recorded this location at a former mine between the towns of Hirnyk and Tsukuryn in eastern Ukraine.

This place is located near the front line, and Tsukurin was captured by the Russians in early October.

While the presence of a North Korean flag does not necessarily indicate their arrival in Ukraine, it does indicate that Russian frontline forces are aware of North Korea’s increasing involvement in the conflict.

Arms supplies

North Korea’s support for Russia’s military efforts is not a new phenomenon.

In October 2023, the White House released images showing a Russian ship picking up containers of what the Americans said were weapons from the North Korean port of Rason.

By this time, the port in Rason was mostly empty. Sky News found there was little activity at its marinas until late summer, after which more ships were seen throughout the autumn and winter.

From the end of August to mid-February, Sky News recorded 34 days in which the ships were visible near Rason’s once-empty wharves.

While it is not publicly known how many weapons North Korea has provided, the White House said in February that 10,000 containers of ammunition and other military materials had been sent since September 2023.

The Data and forensics team is a multidisciplinary unit dedicated to ensuring transparent journalism for Sky News. We collect, analyze and visualize data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite imagery, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling, we aim to better explain the world and show how our journalism works.