While North Korea has been supplying Russia with weapons for some time, the arrival of troops is a major escalation of its involvement in the war in Ukraine.
The first official evidence of large numbers of North Korean troops entering Russia was provided by the South Korean government, which last week issued a press release outlining increasingly close military cooperation between the two countries.
According to the press release, an initial contingent of 1,500 North Korean special forces soldiers were transported on Russian naval ships to the port city of Vladivostok.
The South Koreans have provided two high-resolution satellite images showing what they say are these troops at two sites in Russia.
The first shows a crowd of what the South Korean government estimates to be 400 people gathered outdoors at a Russian military site near the city of Ussuriysk, 98 kilometers north of Vladivostok.
Image released by South Korean intelligence purportedly showing North Korean troops at a Russian military site
The second image shows a smaller number of people, which the South Korean government says are about 250 North Korean soldiers.
Satellite image released by South Korean intelligence purportedly showing North Korean troops at a Russian military site
This image was taken further north than the first. It shows an area that appears to be a military site near the city of Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East.
The footage is circulating online
Amid reports of North Koreans entering Russia, several videos have gone viral.
While Sky News cannot confirm they show North Korean troops, one shows a group of East Asian-looking soldiers. The person taking the video states that they are North Koreans, calling them “allies”.
This video has been geolocated by Sky News to the town of Sergeevka in the Russian Far East.
A second video shot nearby shows a group of soldiers training in a field at the same location.
Shot from a wall, the footage is too grainy to allow the soldiers to be visually identified, but many claim it shows North Korean troops.
A third video released by the Ukrainian government shows equipment of the troops. Although it is not possible to geo-locate this footage, the presence of boxes marked in Russian has been cited as evidence that shows North Korean troops in Russia.
What satellite images can tell us
While currently available videos don’t tell the whole story, more can be learned from satellite imagery.
An image captured by Maxar at the Sergeevka site shows the sudden appearance of trenches on the base’s territory in early October.
Equipment seen at a military site believed to house North Korean troops in Russia. Photo: Maxar
Later in the month, assembled equipment could be seen in an area to the south of the site, indicating that it remained in use. This coincides with the reported arrival of troops in the area and the emergence of the videos, and fits with reports that the North Koreans are training in the area.
Available satellite imagery appears to indicate that the nearby Lifarevka training ground is also currently in use.
A comparison of low- and high-resolution images taken in October shows that several huts appear to have been renovated at the site.
Refurbished huts and evidence of training activities at a Russian military site. Photo: Maxar
Training trenches and signs of activity can be seen in high-resolution images taken on October 24.
Fighting on the Ukrainian front lines often involved the use of trenches similar to those seen in both locations.
A North Korean flag appears on the front line
Amid reports that North Korean troops are preparing for battle in Ukraine, an image showing North Korea’s flag next to Russia’s has gone viral.
A North Korean flag flies in Russian-controlled territory near the Ukrainian front line
Sky News has geolocated this to a former mining facility between the towns of Hirnik and Tsukurin in eastern Ukraine.
The site is close to the front line, with Tsukurin captured by the Russians in early October.
While the presence of the North Korean flag does not necessarily signal their arrival in Ukraine, it does suggest that Russian front-line forces are aware of North Korea’s growing involvement in the conflict.
Arms deliveries
North Korea’s support for Russian military efforts is not a new phenomenon.
In October 2023, the White House released images showing a Russian ship picking up containers of what the Americans said were weapons from the North Korean port of Rason.
Before that, the port in Raison was almost empty. Sky News found that until the end of summer there was little activity at the quays, after which the autumn and winter saw an increasing number of vessels.
A ship at a quay known to have been used to transfer weapons from North Korea to Russia
Between the end of August and mid-February, Sky News recorded 34 days in which ships were visible at the once empty Rason wharves.
While it is not publicly known how many weapons have been provided by North Korea, the White House said in February that 10,000 containers of ammunition and other military materials had been shipped since September 2023.
The Data and forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to delivering transparent journalism from Sky News. We collect, analyze and visualize data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite imagery, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling, we aim to better explain the world while showing how our journalism is done.
