Even as Moscow and Pyongyang denied the presence of North Korean troops in the conflict against Ukraine, the increasing military cooperation between the two countries worries analysts as they fear Russia could offer technical assistance to North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programmes.
Multiple reports have said apart from sending troops to aid Russia in its conflict against Ukraine, North Korea is also offering antiquated but effective rocket launchers, antitank and antiaircraft missiles, short-range ballistic missiles, tank artillery rounds, and field artillery pieces to Russia.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III had recently confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, saying, "We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops that have gone to … Russia...What exactly they are doing is left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out."
"If they're co-belligerents — (if) their intention is to participate in this war on Russia's behalf — that is a very, very serious issue," he added.
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US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that 3,000 North Korean soldiers are deployed in eastern Russia where they are undergoing intensive training.
Even as some see the move by Russia to turn to North Korea for assistance with troops as a sign of weakness, others are worried about this growing military cooperation.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had said his government won't sit idle as North Korea allegedly sends troops to support Russia's war on Ukraine. We agreed that North Korea's troop deployment to Russia, which is in direct violation of the UN charter and UN Security Council resolutions, is a provocation that threatens global security, Yoon had said.
South Korea claimed that North Korea offered 6,700 containers of military equipment, which can accommodate three million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or more than 500,000 rounds of 122 mm multiple rocket launchers, to Russia.
According to analysts, apart from hard currency, raw materials, food support, and diplomatic backing that North Korea is getting in return, Pyongyang is likely to be seeking more modern equipment in exchange for the short-term older equipment it is offering.
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"Moscow may become a source of some critical weapons and technologies, such as reconnaissance satellites and fighter jets, where North Korea’s gap with the South is especially glaring," according to an analyst.
According to Robert Peters, a Research Fellow for Nuclear Deterrence and Missile Defense in Heritage’s Allison Center for National Security, "there is concern that North Korea could receive technologies that would enable it to launch large quantities of maneuverable cruise missiles to overwhelm US and South Korean missile defenses."
In a report that he wrote for American conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, Peters said Russia could help North Korea to develop and produce a new generation of maneuverable cruise missiles, modernise its Hwasal family of missiles, and offer assistance in miniaturising nuclear warheads as Russia has been investing heavily in producing miniaturised warheads.
Seoul too is worried about the possibility of North Korea seeking major technology transfers in return for sending troops, including Russian know-how on intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarines that would advance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear arsenal.
