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Leaks Reveal Russian Soldiers' Discontent with North Korean Units
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Leaks from encrypted Russian military broadcast channels reflect internal division over the utility of using North Korean fighters in the war
Concerns about Russian-North Korean rapprochement emerged not only among Western countries expressing their fears but also within the Russian military establishment itself. Ukrainian intelligence reported intercepting encrypted Russian military communications on the night of October 23.
The recorded leaks show Russian soldiers expressing concerns about the leadership and equipment of North Korean fighters, according to what Ukrainian Defense Intelligence published yesterday, Friday.
The leaked conversations revealed Russian military personnel's dismissal of North Korean soldiers in "Battalion K," referring to them as "damn Chinese" according to their description.
Military officials in the recordings discussed plans to assign one translator and three senior officers for every 30 North Korean fighters, which sparked outrage among Russian soldiers. A Russian military personnel questioned: "What puzzles me is the need to assign three senior officers for every 30 individuals - where will we get them from? We'll have to pull them from their positions."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Moscow will begin, starting Sunday, deploying North Korean fighters in Russia's Kursk region to confront Ukrainian forces.
He announced via social media platforms that intelligence information indicates Russia's intention to use the first North Korean units in combat areas on October 27-28.
The Russian President avoided denying Western intelligence information about the possible deployment of North Korean soldiers in Russia. Ukrainian Intelligence Director Kyrylo Budanov explained last month that North Korea represents Moscow's most dangerous ally to Kyiv due to its provision of huge quantities of artillery shells to Russia.
Moscow and Pyongyang maintain denial of weapons exchange despite their pledge to enhance military cooperation. It's worth noting that Russia has strengthened its relations with North Korea since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, with Putin hosting his counterpart Kim in an official visit last June.
Levant-Agencies
