Phillips Payson O’Brien: “Thousands of North Korean troops are now in Russia, preparing to help Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s war of conquest in Ukraine. The newly arrived soldiers reportedly come from the Special Operations Force—the most capable part of North Korea’s army—and could be deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, in an effort to take back territory that Ukraine seized in an offensive this past summer. But Western military observers can only guess at how well equipped they are or how well trained they’ll be relative to battle-hardened Ukrainian forces. [https://theatln.tc/SH8OxVT0](https://theatln.tc/SH8OxVT0)
“What we do know is this: Putin saw an opportunity to improve Russia’s position in the war that he started, and he took it—apparently with little regard to what the West might think.
“… Putin’s thinking about how to conduct the war isn’t complex at all. He regularly and swiftly escalates whenever he believes that doing so will afford him a strategic advantage. He has bombed Ukrainian hospitals and power supplies, plotted sabotage attacks on military facilities in Europe, hit up Iran for large numbers of drones and missiles, and bargained with North Korea for millions and millions of shells—all to help him in his quest for military success.
“A major factor in American vacillation is the Biden administration’s fear that if the West helps Ukraine too much, Putin will escalate by using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But Putin has shown many times that his nuclear threats are hollow.
“… He will, however, use any other means to win the war. And the United States, apparently, will keep overthinking—and finding excuses to do nothing. A few weeks ago, Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence started reporting that North Korean forces were getting involved on Russia’s side. Downplaying the importance of Pyongyang’s involvement, American military and intelligence officials initially suggested to ‘The New York Times’ that the regime had sent engineers to build and operate North Korean military equipment in Russian hands. Subsequently, a video surfaced that seemed to show North Korean troops in Russia being given Russian military equipment. Earlier this week, the British government asserted that North Korean combat troops were on their way to Russia.
“… The Biden administration’s response has been to run out the clock and pass the issue off to its successor. Its excuses have become self-fulfilling: The U.S. has had countless opportunities to step up and help Ukraine promptly, and in every instance, it has prevaricated and wasted time. At some point, Americans should realize that Putin isn’t wondering what the U.S. thinks about him; he is trying relentlessly to win his war. The U.S. should respond to North Korea’s involvement by doing the one thing it always should have done: give Ukraine the means to defeat the Russian invasion.”
It’s a bizarre escalation and raises the unedifying possibility of North and South Korea waging a proxy war in eastern Ukraine. Who had that on their 2024 predictions?
It does suggest to me that Russia’s recruitment crisis is getting dire. I know there’s an assumption that Russia can simply indefinitely pour troops into any war but Russia isn’t the USSR, and this isn’t the 1940s – people talk on social media and the casualties are more visible to the general Russian population.
how many? 3000 troops…
Russia losses over 1000 every day in ukraine.
So unless N korea adds a zero to that number, per month, i wouldnt worry.
or N korea is doing the same thing everyone is doing. Learning how war is waged in the 21st century. They could just be observers and future trainers.
But yeah, i didnt have korean proxy war on my bingo card either. Which this could easily turn to.
Drone targets
According to russian telegram leaks, NK troops are to be deployed in the Kursk operation and later as a northern counter-incursion force, not leaving Russian territory, wearing Russian uniforms and under the guise of volunteer units, just as many Western volunteers that are now fighting for Ukraine. This would create a lot of plausible deniability layers, so the Western response would most likely be weak.
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Phillips Payson O’Brien: “Thousands of North Korean troops are now in Russia, preparing to help Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s war of conquest in Ukraine. The newly arrived soldiers reportedly come from the Special Operations Force—the most capable part of North Korea’s army—and could be deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, in an effort to take back territory that Ukraine seized in an offensive this past summer. But Western military observers can only guess at how well equipped they are or how well trained they’ll be relative to battle-hardened Ukrainian forces. [https://theatln.tc/SH8OxVT0](https://theatln.tc/SH8OxVT0)
“What we do know is this: Putin saw an opportunity to improve Russia’s position in the war that he started, and he took it—apparently with little regard to what the West might think.
“… Putin’s thinking about how to conduct the war isn’t complex at all. He regularly and swiftly escalates whenever he believes that doing so will afford him a strategic advantage. He has bombed Ukrainian hospitals and power supplies, plotted sabotage attacks on military facilities in Europe, hit up Iran for large numbers of drones and missiles, and bargained with North Korea for millions and millions of shells—all to help him in his quest for military success.
“A major factor in American vacillation is the Biden administration’s fear that if the West helps Ukraine too much, Putin will escalate by using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But Putin has shown many times that his nuclear threats are hollow.
“… He will, however, use any other means to win the war. And the United States, apparently, will keep overthinking—and finding excuses to do nothing. A few weeks ago, Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence started reporting that North Korean forces were getting involved on Russia’s side. Downplaying the importance of Pyongyang’s involvement, American military and intelligence officials initially suggested to ‘The New York Times’ that the regime had sent engineers to build and operate North Korean military equipment in Russian hands. Subsequently, a video surfaced that seemed to show North Korean troops in Russia being given Russian military equipment. Earlier this week, the British government asserted that North Korean combat troops were on their way to Russia.
“… The Biden administration’s response has been to run out the clock and pass the issue off to its successor. Its excuses have become self-fulfilling: The U.S. has had countless opportunities to step up and help Ukraine promptly, and in every instance, it has prevaricated and wasted time. At some point, Americans should realize that Putin isn’t wondering what the U.S. thinks about him; he is trying relentlessly to win his war. The U.S. should respond to North Korea’s involvement by doing the one thing it always should have done: give Ukraine the means to defeat the Russian invasion.”
Read more: [https://theatln.tc/SH8OxVT0](https://theatln.tc/SH8OxVT0)
It’s a bizarre escalation and raises the unedifying possibility of North and South Korea waging a proxy war in eastern Ukraine. Who had that on their 2024 predictions?
It does suggest to me that Russia’s recruitment crisis is getting dire. I know there’s an assumption that Russia can simply indefinitely pour troops into any war but Russia isn’t the USSR, and this isn’t the 1940s – people talk on social media and the casualties are more visible to the general Russian population.
how many? 3000 troops…
Russia losses over 1000 every day in ukraine.
So unless N korea adds a zero to that number, per month, i wouldnt worry.
or N korea is doing the same thing everyone is doing. Learning how war is waged in the 21st century. They could just be observers and future trainers.
But yeah, i didnt have korean proxy war on my bingo card either. Which this could easily turn to.
Drone targets
According to russian telegram leaks, NK troops are to be deployed in the Kursk operation and later as a northern counter-incursion force, not leaving Russian territory, wearing Russian uniforms and under the guise of volunteer units, just as many Western volunteers that are now fighting for Ukraine. This would create a lot of plausible deniability layers, so the Western response would most likely be weak.
Seems like they’re sacrificing them.
Canon fodder
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