North Koreans on the Front

North Korean soldiers have begun to arrive in the war zone:

There remains much that we do not know. Will North Korean soldiers serve in combat roles, or primarily in support roles?  Will they fight in their own formations, or will they be used as replacements in already-existing Russian units?

What kind of equipment will North Korean troops employ?

How effectively will soldiers of the KPA, a force that has seen little-to-no combat since the 1950s, fight?  Can North Korean soldiers adapt to the high-tech reality of drone warfare on the Donbas front?

Will Russia respect the international boundary between Russia and Ukraine in its deployment of North Koreans? How will North Korea react when its soldiers are killed or captured in Russian service?

The overall impact of North Korea’s intervention will depend on how these questions get answered. Russia will benefit from the availability of warm bodies. Still, the degree of that benefit will vary considerably based on how the troops are used, how they perform in their assigned duties, and how much stomach North Korea has for combat losses.

Other links:

• A more bullish appraisal of the North Korean deployment…
• Already some teething problems on the front lines…
• US response is as of yet uncertain.
• The Ukrainian manpower situation is not good.
• The next nuclear arms race is going to be bad.
• Why do courts refuse to enforce arms transfer restrictions?