Satellite images have revealed how North Korean soldiers were transported to the front line in Russia. According to experts, the troops were transported to Russian ports with navy ships they secretly boarded at night. At least two Russian navy ships conducted voyages in October and November to transport North Korean soldiers to Russian military ports. Researchers estimate that each landing ship can accommodate around 400 soldiers. New satellite images obtained by the American news outlet CNN demonstrated that hundreds of North Korean soldiers were brought to Russia by sea for combat.

According to researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, at least two Russian navy ships transported North Korean soldiers to Russian military ports in October and November. The soldiers’ maritime journey was initially detected by the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS), revealing that some soldiers were brought from North Korean port areas Chongjin, Hamhung, and Musudan to Russia last year.
However, the South Korean agency did not provide sufficient evidence to substantiate their claims at that time. Sam Lair, a research associate at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, stated, “I don’t think Russians or North Koreans would’ve wanted these transfers to be recorded. The element of secrecy is quite striking.”
Researchers suggested that North Korean soldiers likely boarded these ships at night, making it difficult to capture evidence of the transfers. In a satellite image from Planet Labs, a Russian ship believed to be Nikolay Vilkov can be seen at the port on October 17th, accompanied by a closed cargo truck on the dock.
On October 20th, the crane is withdrawn, indicating that the soldiers’ transfer appears to be completed. Researchers believe that each landing ship can accommodate several hundred, even up to 400, soldiers. North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk since the end of October to repel an attack on the southern border region of Russia by Ukraine.
Experts also mention that Russia has sent a large amount of North Korean munitions to an “unobtrusive maritime facility.”