North Korean troops seen being equipped in Russia ahead of likely deployment to Ukraine

CNN —

North Korean soldiers have been filmed receiving uniforms and equipment at a training ground in Russia’s far east, appearing to confirm reports from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) that 1,500 soldiers have been shipped over for military training to be deployed in Ukraine.

The North Korean troops are thought to be receiving training before being sent to the front line in Ukraine, in what is thought to be a clear sign of the ever-warming relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

In a video shared with CNN by Ukrainian government organization the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security, a long line of soldiers can be seen queuing to receive their uniforms. The soldiers are thought to be speaking Korean, although the low-quality audio prevented their discussions from being fully understood.

Upon arriving in Russia, the North Korean recruits have been asked to fill out a questionnaire providing their sizing for hats, headgear, uniforms, and shoes. In a copy of the questionnaire shared with CNN, the top of the form is written in Russian while the various size options are written in Korean.

A copy of the questionnaire North Korean soldiers filled out after arriving in Russia, providing their sizing for hats, headgear, uniforms, and shoes.

Another video circulating on social media, geolocated by CNN, showed troops arriving at the Sergeevka Training Ground close to Russia’s border with China. In the video, a Russian speaker can be heard in the background saying “we can’t film them,” before adding: “There are more…there are millions of them here. Here are the new reinforcements. This is just the beginning. There are more.”

This evidence appears to confirm Kyiv’s long-held