North Korea supplies Russia with KN-15 ballistic missile systems

In December 2024, reports surfaced about the deployment of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia, where they have engaged in combat alongside Russian forces. The Ukrainian military claimed to have killed three North Korean soldiers and confiscated their military identification documents, noting that these documents were fraudulent and used Russian names and places of birth. This revelation highlighted a broader concern from Ukraine regarding Russia's attempts to obscure the presence and losses of foreign fighters. As the conflict evolved, intelligence estimates indicated that between 11,000 and 12,000 North Korean soldiers were believed to be fighting with Russian troops, with significant casualties reported over recent weeks. Ukrainian officials stated that they had observed heavy losses among the North Korean forces, with several hundred casualties reported since October. This includes detailed accounts from both U.S. and South Korean intelligence revealing losses of up to 100 North Korean soldiers killed and around 1,000 injured. Specific recent incidents noted that between December 15 and December 17, 2024, Ukrainian forces reported 50 North Koreans killed and 47 injured in just three days, emphasizing the ongoing high stakes of this conflict. The so-called tactics employed by North Korean troops harkened back to older military strategies reminiscent of the Korean War. Consequently, Ukraine has accused Russia of attempting to disguise these soldiers' identities, allegedly even going so far as to incinerate the bodies of dead North Korean fighters to hide their involvement. In a related development, North Korea appeared to have supplied significant military hardware to Russia, including KN-15 ballistic missile systems, as evidenced by video footage from Tyumen. The KN-15, also known as Pukguksong-2, boasts a reported range of approximately 2,000 kilometers, posing additional concerns about regional security dynamics. Recent reports indicated that these missile systems were part of broader military supplies that included artillery systems and short-range ballistic missiles. The collaboration between North Korea and Russia is raising alarms about the potential escalation of military engagements as each side bolsters its capabilities amidst the protracted conflict. As tensions continue to mount, the involvement of North Korean soldiers in this conflict and the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia suggest significant geopolitical implications. Ukraine's stance that Russia is actively attempting to conceal the true extent of its losses while also involving foreign troops intensifies the scrutiny surrounding the situation. This involvement may have repercussions not just for immediate military outcomes, but for wider regional stability as alliances and military strategies evolve.