Russia Creates Disinformation About North Korean Troop Presence Using Ethnic Groups

Russian forces are creating informational confusion about the presence of North Korean troops and their involvement in the war with Ukraine.

Andrii Kovalenko, The Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) at the National Security and Defense Council, stated this during a national telethon.

“Since the plans of the Russians are well known, they are producing videos featuring Kalmyks, Buryats, and Tuvans, presenting them as North Korean military personnel. At the same time, real North Korean soldiers are also being moved within units that include these ethnic groups,” Kovalenko said.

“Currently, we are taking measures to document the presence of North Korean troops, distinguishing fake narratives where Tuvans are portrayed as Koreans, and conducting intelligence that we share with our partners. In due course, we will publish this analysis publicly,” head of CCD said.

Kovalenko noted that initially, Russian forces planned to involve North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region for training under combat conditions. Subsequently, Russia also plans to deploy them in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk region.

Video of North Korean officers allegedly walking around Moscow was circulating online, as reported by several Russia media outlets on October 23.

Previously, Financial Times reported, citing Ukrainian intelligence sources, that around 3,000 North Korean soldiers were recently moved to Russia’s Kursk region and stationed in barracks about 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border as of October 28.