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Putin’s New Missile Test and North Korean Troops: The Escalation You Need to Know About

Daniel Kim Views  

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) and his wife, Olena Zelenska, visited the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv to honor the victims of Ukraine\'s 1932-33 famine. / Reuters, Yonhap News
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) and his wife, Olena Zelenska, visited the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv to honor the victims of Ukraine’s 1932-33 famine. / Reuters, Yonhap News

As the United States, South Korea, and other allies assess North Korean troop deployment in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Kursk region, reports suggest that these forces may have crossed into Ukrainian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently revealed the launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) against Ukraine, has signaled further testing. Analysts suggested the recent missile exchanges serve more political purposes than battlefield objectives, particularly with Donald Trump’s potential second term on the horizon.

CNN reported on Friday, citing Ukrainian security sources, that North Korean military advisors had arrived in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, currently under Russian occupation. The sources noted that the purpose of the North Korean military’s visit was unclear and that the troops were dressed in Russian military uniforms. They were reportedly housed separately from Russian forces in Mariupol and provided with accommodations, food, music, and films. Unlike the North Korean troops, other foreign soldiers were said to be integrated with Russian units.

Ukrainian military officials believe North Korean troops have also entered eastern Ukraine. A Ukrainian military spokesperson told CNN that intercepted communications revealed North Korean forces in the Kharkiv region. CNN also quoted Nazarii Kysiak, commander of Ukraine’s 153rd Mechanized Brigade, who told Ukrainian media that North Korean troops were already in Kharkiv. According to Kysiak, the troops were divided into smaller units, reinforcing combat forces and concentrating a few troops on the front lines.

CNN emphasized that North Korean troop deployment to Ukraine’s front lines would mark a significant expansion of Russian-allied presence across the battlefield. U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence estimate approximately 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to the Kursk region.

Meanwhile, just a day after Russia launched its new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik (Hazelnut), at Ukraine, President Putin announced plans to continue such tests. According to Reuters, during a meeting on Friday with defense officials, military-industrial leaders, and missile developers, Putin declared that Russia has reserves of the Oreshnik missile and is prepared to deploy these systems. “We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats treated for Russia,” he added.

However, Reuters cited a U.S. official who noted that Russia’s missiles were experimental and limited in number, indicating they lack the capability for regular deployment on the battlefield. With a range of 3,000 to 5,500 km, intermediate-range missiles can target all of Europe from Russia.

With Donald Trump’s election promise to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours, speculation about imminent negotiations has paradoxically intensified the fighting. Both sides appear to be scrambling to secure or reclaim as much territory as possible, anticipating negotiations based on current front lines.

The pace of responses from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia has also accelerated. Reports suggest the U.S. approved Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons provided by the U.S. following Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk. Ukraine immediately deployed ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) and started using U.S.-supplied anti-personnel mines. In response, Russia revised its nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for nuclear weapon use, threatening deployment. Russia also fired nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine. These escalations have unfolded rapidly over the past week.

On Saturday, The New York Times analyzed the recent missile exchanges and noted they have had little impact on the ground war. The report suggested that these actions were more politically motivated than militarily, aiming to influence the situation ahead of a potential Trump administration. Analysts noted that neither Ukraine’s recently approved U.S.-supplied missiles capable of targeting Russian territory nor Russia’s experimental missiles were produced in sufficient quantities to have significant military consequences.

Ukraine also raised suspicions that the Oreshnik missile was fired with dummy warheads for show. The New York Times reported that Roman Kostenko, chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary defense intelligence committee, said Ukrainian authorities are investigating whether the missile carried only fake warheads. Kostenko explained that a crater formed by the missile fired toward Dnipro in central Ukraine was about 1.5 meters wide, possibly caused by only two pounds (approximately 900 grams) of explosives. He added that if the missile was indeed launched empty, it must be understood entirely as a demonstration.

Daniel Kim
content@viewusglobal.com

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