North Korea Isolates Families of Soldiers Deployed to Russia, South Korean Intelligence Reports

North Korean authorities are isolating the families of soldiers sent to Russia to support Moscow in the war in Ukraine, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing South Korean intelligence.

“The National Intelligence Service also reported that North Korean authorities are moving and isolating the families of deployed soldiers en masse to unknown locations in order to tightly control and manage them,” publication stated.

It is reported that within the country, there has been no official announcement regarding the deployment of troops to Russia, but information is gradually leaking to the public.

According to the agency, the head of the South Korean intelligence service, Chang Ho-jin, provided updates on the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia. It is stated that 3,000 North Korean soldiers are already stationed at training bases in Russia, with total numbers expected to reach 10,000 by December.

Intelligence sources indicate that North Korean military personnel have not yet been sent to combat zones and are being trained in the use of military equipment and drones.

"Russian instructors who participated in the military training predicted that the North Korean troops deployed had excellent physical strength and morale, but lacked understanding of modern warfare such as drone attacks, and that there would be many casualties if they were deployed to the front lines," Yonhap wrote.

The publication reports that Russia pays approximately $2,000 per month for each soldier. The average monthly salary in North Korea was estimated to be between $1 and $3 in 2022. It is likely that most of the money does not reach the North Korean soldiers and their families, but instead remains with the state.

Earlier on October 23, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed reports of North Korean military deployments to Russia. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), stated previously that the first North Korean units were expected to arrive in Kursk region on October 23.