- Kim Jong Un urges military readiness for “real war” during artillery drills.
- Over 18,000 North Korean personnel reportedly deployed to aid Russia in Ukraine.
- Seoul’s muted response raises alarms over Pyongyang’s growing combat capabilities.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has intensified military readiness by ordering his troops to prepare for a “real war” as he oversaw artillery firing drills recently aired by state media.
Beyond combat forces, intelligence reports from Ukraine suggest Pyongyang has deployed engineers, railway specialists, and logistics units to help rebuild war-torn regions in Russia.
North Korea Trains for Real War as Combat Role in Ukraine Sharpens Its Arsenal
Kim Jong Un’s recent command to “destroy the enemy in every battle” underscores a shift from rhetoric to combat-readiness. Footage of drills conducted near an undisclosed coastline shows troops firing artillery into the sea, signaling serious war preparations. State media portrayed this as part of an ongoing mission to enhance military capabilities in a volatile global climate.
North Korea’s alliance with Russia has gone beyond symbolic gestures. According to Western and South Korean intelligence, Pyongyang now supplies around 40% of Russia’s battlefield munitions. In return, Russia has provided technical upgrades for North Korea’s KN-23 ballistic missiles—some of which have allegedly been used in Ukraine with fatal consequences for civilians.
A mutual defense pact signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in 2023 cements the military partnership between the two isolated nations. This pact includes provisions for military assistance, signaling a potential united front against common geopolitical adversaries. For Pyongyang, this also opens doors to previously inaccessible wartime expertise and battlefield adaptation.
While regional allies like the U.S. and Japan have publicly condemned North Korean missile tests, South Korea’s silence on the nation’s participation in Ukraine’s war raises strategic questions. Experts argue that this passivity could reflect political caution, but warn it may also allow Pyongyang to strengthen its military unchecked, especially with battlefield experience now under its belt.
North Korea’s military posture is evolving from deterrence to active engagement, shaped by real combat in Ukraine and a growing alliance with Russia. As Pyongyang sharpens its edge, the silence from Seoul and others may prove more dangerous than noise.
“War is not only a matter of equipment, artillery, group troops or air force; it is largely a matter of spirit or morale.” — Chiang Kai-shek
