Analysts suggested that North Korea had likely supplied Russia with its medium-range ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-2.
On Sunday, Militarnyi reported evidence of North Korea’s recent supply of weapons to Russia, citing a video from a Telegram channel. The video shows a cargo train, alleged to be in Russia’s western Tyumen region, transporting excavators and ten North Korean Koksan self-propelled howitzers. Militarnyi highlighted, “The most mysterious cargo is five tracked vehicles with a cylindrical top.” The report mentioned that despite the low quality of the video, the vehicles observed are very similar to the Pukguksong-2, especially when compared to images of the North Korean missile that were released online.
The Pukguksong-2 is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. Its first test was fired in 2017 and showcased at a Pyongyang military parade in April. Militarnyi noted that given the Russian military does not possess any known weapons of a similar design, the missiles observed are likely North Korea’s Pukguksong-2 missiles. North Korea has been supporting Russia’s war since it signed a mutual defense treaty with Russia in June this year, which is considered to be equivalent to a military alliance.
Further reports indicate North Korean troops deployed to Russia are using false identification to conceal their identities. Ukrainian media reported that the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces shared images of alleged deceased North Korean soldiers, along with their military IDs, on social media. The Special Operations Forces stated, “Due to the decryption, the soldiers’ names are Ban Guk Jin, Li Dae Hyuk, and Cho Chol Ho. However, according to their Russian IDs, their names are Kim Kang Solat Albertovich, Dongnk Jang Surovich, and Belek Aganak Kap-oolovich.” While the soldiers’ birthplace was stated as the Republic of Tuva, Russia, their signatures were reportedly in Korean handwriting.
Most Commented