South Korea may be considering sending weapons and intelligence personnel directly to Ukraine in response to reports of North Korean troops stationed in Russia to take part in Russia's war in Ukraine.
This is stated in the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Daily Bulletin.
On October 22, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that a South Korean government source said South Korea was considering sending military personnel, possibly intelligence units, to Ukraine to monitor the tactics and combat capabilities of North Korean forces and interrogates captured North Koreans.
The source also reported that South Korea would prioritize providing Ukraine with defensive weapons rather than lethal aid, but if South Korea provided lethal weapons, Seoul would first try to find a way to provide them to Ukraine indirectly .
On June 20, following the initial establishment of the Russia-North Korea Strategic Partnership Agreement on June 19, South Korea's National Security Service Director Chang Ho-jin said the agreement had encouraged South Korea to change its long-standing policy of prohibiting the transfer of arms to Ukraine.
On June 21, news agency "Yonhap" reported that South Korea is considering sending 155mm artillery shells and unspecified air defense systems to Ukraine.
South Korea's continued consideration of sending lethal aid to Ukraine comes amid threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin since June 20, when Putin said Seoul would make a "very big mistake" if it decided to supply arms to Ukraine .
Chief of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence (GUR) of Ukraine, Lt. Gen. Kirill Budanov, told The War Zone on October 22 that the first North Korean servicemen were expected to arrive in Kursk Oblast on October 23, but that it was unclear how many large will be the grouping and how it will be equipped.
Newsweek reported that a South Korean government official said that in September 2024, North Korea sent fighter pilots to Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, possibly to train on Russian fighter jets that Russia allegedly supplied to North Korea , or to supplement the shortage of pilots in Russia.
A recent poll in Russia shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoys broad support among Russian citizens, even though many disagree with some of the Kremlin's policies, including on the war.
Thirty-six world leaders, including from the People's Republic of China (PRC), India, South Africa and Iran, have arrived in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, for the 16th annual BRICS summit, which takes place from 22 to 24 October and during which Russia is likely to seek to establish mechanisms to increase its military efforts in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces carried out a series of drone strikes on the night of October 21-22 targeting distilleries in Russia that reportedly produce products for the Russian military.
Russian forces recently advanced in the Kursk region and near Kurakhovo and Ugledar, American analysts write.
Russia participates in multilateral military exercises with international partners. Iran hosted Russian and Omani navies as part of the IMEX 2024 naval exercises, which took place between October 19 and 20 in the Indian Ocean.