During an Oct. 30 U.N. Security Council meeting, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya revealed the names of three high-ranking North Korean generals reportedly sent to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, reports the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine has previously claimed that Russia is preparing to deploy 12,000 North Korean troops, including 500 officers and three generals.
The generals named include Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, who oversees North Korea's special forces, and Colonel General Ri Chang Ho, head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s intelligence agency.
The third, Major General Sin Kum Cheol, leads the Main Operational Directorate, Kyslytsya stated.
Colonel General Kim Yong Bok is believed to represent North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia and commands the XI Corps special forces, allegedly deployed to assist Moscow.
Colonel General Ri, a South Korean-sanctioned figure for involvement in cyber attacks, heads North Korea’s intelligence operations.
According to Kyslytsya, Moscow intends to integrate North Korean troops into new units alongside ethnic minorities from Russia’s Far East to obscure their presence.
These troops will be outfitted with Russian uniforms and equipment.
Reports from NATO and the Pentagon confirm some North Korean forces have already arrived in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine conducted cross-border operations in August.
Kyslytsya noted that 400 North Korean soldiers are already stationed there, with up to 2,100 more reportedly en route between October 23-28.
Russian envoy Vasily Nebenzya dismissed Ukraine’s claims as false, though both Moscow and Pyongyang initially refuted troop deployment reports only to later suggest such actions were within their sovereign rights.
Russia and North Korea have strengthened military ties since the war's onset, including signing a mutual defense pact, while both continue to deny allegations of weapons exchanges.
