Ukraine Situation Report: Army Of North Korean ‘Volunteers’ Said To Be Ready To Help Russia

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A Russian talk show host claimed that 100,000 North Korean “volunteers” are ready to assist in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russia Channel One talk show host Igor Korotchenko suggested Russia welcome the North Koreans’ help not only on the frontlines but also as workers. Pyongyang confirmed a plan to send laborers to rebuild occupied Ukraine, according to a report from NK News.

Today on Russian state TV, military pundit Igor Korotchenko is saying how great it would be for "North Korean volunteers" to come to Donbas, not only to help rebuild cities destroyed in the war, but also to fight alongside Russia pic.twitter.com/oMO94YMcWO

— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) August 4, 2022

THREAD: Despite international sanctions, North Korea plans to send laborers to the Russia-backed breakaway region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Here's a recap of the DPRK's recent outreach to Moscow.https://t.co/KSDoRlotgP

— NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) August 6, 2022

Estimates of Russian losses since the invasion began on February 24 vary, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming in a late-July speech some 40,000 Russians had died. By comparison, U.S. and British estimates put the number of dead near 15,000, with two to three times that wounded in the fighting, according to a report from The Economist.

This isn’t Pyongyang’s first move in backing Russia in its war with Ukraine. North Korea recognized the Russian-backed separatist governments in Donetsk and Luhansk in July, which led to Ukraine breaking off diplomatic relations with the Kim Regime.

The possibility of inserting North Korean troops into the war in Ukraine sounds bizarre, but considering Russia’s losses, it may not be too unthinkable. At the very least, North Korean workers could flood into Russian-held territory in Ukraine to support the invasion and occupation efforts, especially in the form of cheap manual labor. North Korea exports its labor force around the world as a way to gain hard currency. (KCNA photo)

Just how effective North Korean troops, workers, or whatever you want to call them, would be on the frontlines in Ukraine isn’t clear. What the Korean People’s Army (KPA) lacks in technology it makes up for in size and firepower, two things Russia could well put to use in a drawn-out war of attrition in Ukraine. They are also, in many instances, accustomed to working in relatively horrible conditions with minimal rights or resources, which makes deploying them to a war zone likely attractive to Moscow.

The idea that an army of North Koreans could end up in Ukraine on Russia’s behalf is just another reminder of just how bizarre this conflict has become.

Before heading into today’s latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can get caught up with our previous rolling coverage here.

The Latest

Today’s intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defense noted that Russian forces are redeploying from the Donbas toward the Kherson frontline.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 6 August 2022

Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/ipwkuIN1lV

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/cyB1fVrATh

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) August 6, 2022

Whether those forces are meant for an offensive on the southern front after months of near-stalemate in the east or to shore up defenses in the face of an ongoing Ukrainian counterattack remains unclear.

That said, the situation at the Zaphorizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant near the Dnieper River city of Enerhodar continues to deteriorate as concerns about the plant being damaged in the fighting grow. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told the BBC he was “extremely concerned” by reports of shelling at the plant, with the Ukrainian government claims parts of the facility suffered serious damage in Russian strikes aimed at cutting off its ability to distribute power. There have also been reports of the plant being mined and weapons, as well as other volatile materiel, sitting very near sensitive nuclear infrastructure. In addition, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Saturday that Russian occupiers damaged the nitrogen-oxygen unit and an auxiliary building, raising the risk of radioactive leak and fire at the plant.

We wrote about the incredible footage from the war’s early days, when the world watched a live stream of Russia’s nighttime assault on the complex. Russia has since been accused of turning the nuclear plant into a firebase, using the risk of disaster to deter retaliatory Ukrainian attacks. The European Union has condemned Russian activities at the plant and called for renewed IAEA access.

You can read our past reporting on the precarious state of the plant, the largest in Europe, here, but needless to say, the crisis is getting worse based on today’s reports.

It is reported that Russians mined Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Some sources say they mined the machine hall, others – that the territory around the plant is mined.

Ammunition is stored right beside the energy block.

No need to explain how dangerous this is. pic.twitter.com/StWozzx4ii

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 6, 2022

The outcome of the Russian shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. One of the power blocks has been disconnected from the grid pic.twitter.com/bwtH95AGRM

— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) August 5, 2022

⚡️Energoatom: Russia shells Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant to 'disconnect it from Ukraine’s energy system.'

After Russia's attacks near the plant, Ukraine's state nuclear energy company said Russia wants to “destroy the station's infrastructure and damage power transmission."

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 6, 2022

Radiation emission risk: Russian troops seriously damage nitrogen-oxygen unit at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Energoatomhttps://t.co/sNFhugkHIX

— Ukrainska Pravda in English (@pravda_eng) August 6, 2022

BREAKING: The EU condemns Russia's military activities around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and calls for IAEA access

— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) August 6, 2022

📽️Russia uses #Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as its base, and stores ammunition and military hardware in the complex. UN has already stated that every principle of nuclear safety has been violated.#UkraineRussiaWar pic.twitter.com/M19cn9Rr5A

— MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet) August 6, 2022

Russian MoD claims shoot down of drones Zaporizhzhia Ukraine https://t.co/wcJXogCrLI

— AVSEC Pro (@avsec_pro) August 6, 2022

We have a new up-close image of one of the radar decoy barges positioned near the Kerch Bridge that connects Crimea and mainland Russia. We wrote about the Russian effort to move countermeasures near the strategic link between Crimea and Russia in early July, which you can read about here. Smaller radar decoys have been set up near two critical bridges over the Dnieper River near Kherson, as well.

A Russian Project 436 target barge equipped with a large number of radar reflectors near the Crimean Bridge.

This is most likely intended to serve as a decoy for any terminal radar guided missiles aimed at the bridge. pic.twitter.com/li60lGGtjv

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 6, 2022

This week’s rumor mill on North Macedonian Su-25s being sent to Ukraine appears to be true after confirmation from a Ukrainian presidential adviser on Saturday. We wrote about the potential transfer and the Macedonian Frogfoots’ peculiar absence from their storage area, which you can read about here.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelensky, tweeted veiled thanks to North Macedonia for “substituting a Ukrainian shoulder in the form of tanks and planes.” North Macedonia previously provided T-72s from its only tank unit to Ukraine.

Podolyak further said nations like North Macedonia “are showing more courage today than half of the G20.” Ukrainian Su-25s remain in the fight, with regular videos appearing of the attack jets flying at low altitudes and employing munitions.

Друг пізнається у скруті. Неважливо, якого розміру твоя країна чи обсяг ВВП, важливо, яке в тебе серце. Багато народів сьогодні виявляють більше мужності, ніж половина G20. Як Північна Македонія, підставивши 🇺🇦 плече у вигляді танків і літаків. Ми ніколи цього не забудемо.

— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) August 6, 2022
Post Unavailable

A pair of Ukrainian Su-25s, each carrying four empty O-25 rocket pods and a pair of drop tanks, head back from the front pic.twitter.com/CLLGLy0Gap

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 6, 2022

Speaking of military aid to Ukraine, the next U.S. package could exceed $1 billion and include both GMLRS rockets for the M142 HIMARS and missiles for the NASAMS surface-to-air missile system, according to a report from Reuters. The package would reportedly further include 50 medical variants of the M113 armored personnel carrier.

The Biden administration's next security assistance package for Ukraine is expected to be $1 billion and include munitions for long-range weapons and armored medical transport vehicles, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Friday. https://t.co/svaHe7LHqv

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 6, 2022

HIMARS’ impact on the battlefield has gained cult status with strikes on high-value Russian targets. The U.S. recently began NASAMS procurement for Ukraine, with the delivery date still unknown.

We also got cool low-level footage of Ukrainian Mi-24 Hinds skimming the fields near the frontline, just try to fight the urge to duck your head in the first few seconds.

Ukrainian Army Aviation 🇺🇦🚁
Video source https://t.co/6ViYyL96oO pic.twitter.com/AyTfTkWYhP

— MilitaryAviationInUa (@MilAviaUA) August 5, 2022

There’s also a disturbing video from the front showing a Russian soldier on a suicide mission to destroy an anti-tank mine with a dump truck. The soldier screams “Honor to Russia” and drives right into the mine with predictable results.

Russian soldier screams “Honor to Russia” and then drives his military truck over a Ukrainian anti-tank mine, killing him instantly.

He should have stayed in Russia… pic.twitter.com/UYHKPetkNG

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) August 5, 2022

Lastly, there’s an alarming report from Sofia Santos (@Gralhix) and Benjamin Pittet (@COUPSURE ) for the Center for Information Resilience documenting the forced resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in Russia. The report goes into stunning detail of how Russia is handling those its war has displaced, from the point of capture through “filtration” and an uncertain future in a hostile country, and it’s well worth your read.

My latest #OSINT report on the forced deportation of #Ukrainian civilians to #Russia included the #geolocation of hidden footage from inside a filtration camp. I just published a little tutorial on my blog on how I geolocated and verified that footage.
🛰️https://t.co/WxcKx046SV

— Sofia Santos (@Gralhix) August 6, 2022

We will continue to update this story until we state otherwise.

Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com