[New Year feature] One year of North Korean troop deployment in the Russia·Ukraine war

Interview with Andrii Cherniak, spokesperson of the Main Directorate of Intelligence under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Andrii Cherniak, spokesperson of the Main Directorate of Intelligence under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, regarding the North Korean troops deployed to the Ukrainian battlefield, said, “After receiving very thorough instruction from Russia in modern methods of warfare, they have become one of the forces conducting the most modern form of war,” and expressed concern that “when they return to North Korea, they could become ‘instructor resources’ to train a 1 million-strong army.”

In an interview conducted late last year in Kyiv, he said, “At first, the North Korean troops had no knowledge at all of communications equipment, electronic warfare equipment, electronic reconnaissance, or how to operate drones, and within minutes of entering combat, 90% of the platoon became casualties,” and added, “They briefly withdrew, were integrated into Russian units, learned tactics and how to use electronic equipment, and completely mastered a new way of warfare.” He said, “They also changed their assault tactics to a method in which they participate together with Russian troops,” and, “Initially they attacked in groups of dozens or hundreds, but now one or two Russian soldiers go in first, followed by two North Korean soldiers, through which they secured positions.”

He said, “The North Korean troops began to study drones very actively, and the Russian military began to deploy them to operate reconnaissance drones and attack drones,” and, “It has already been confirmed that North Korean troops are operating UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) against the Ukrainian Defense Forces.” Cherniak said, “North Korean troops have also learned how to use electronic warfare equipment that makes drone attacks impossible,” meaning, “They know how to attack with drones and how to defend against them.”

He said, “When the North Korean troops return home, they can become instructors and train the forces,” and, “We cannot regard only 10,000 or 20,000 personnel as having been committed to the war in Ukraine. They should be viewed as ‘instructor resources’ who will train a 1 million-strong North Korean army.”

He pointed out, “It may look like a local war unfolding within the territory of Ukraine now, but for the regions where North Korean troops can be deployed, namely Korea, Japan, and neighboring countries, it will be a very serious threat.”

When asked, “Do the North Korean troops also use fiber-optic drones?” he replied, “Of course. They know how to use all the equipment that the Russian military possesses,” and emphasized, “The cooperation forged between Russia and North Korea is very in-depth military and technological cooperation.” He also revealed that North Korean missiles are being upgraded. Cherniak said, “In the early phase, North Korean missiles were very inaccurate, falling about 400 meters off target, but after Russian engineers became involved in missile production, they became much more precise and more lethal,” and, “In exchange for providing Russia with old ammunition that had been kept in storage for decades, North Korea is producing new weapons and stockpiling them in its depots.”

He said, “In conclusion, we are now witnessing North Korean personnel fully prepared for modern warfare, a personnel structure of North Korean units that has been altered to fit assault operations, and the absolute strengthening and rearmament of the North Korean military,” and, “This is the objective situation we must recognize and a reality that must be confronted in one way or another.” He then said, “Unfortunately, South Korea has come to have a neighbor (enemy) that is ‘valiant, well trained, and armed with new weapons’.”