Several North Korean officers visited the Russian military base in Udong and were killed in a Ukrainian air strike

In a significant meeting last September at the Eastern Cosmodrome near Chkalovsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a handshake. Fast forward to October 3rd, when Ukrainian forces executed an airstrike in the Donetsk region, targeting a Russian-occupied area. This attack resulted in over 20 military deaths, including six North Korean officers who were at the frontlines to assess the situation in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Sources suggest that these North Korean officers were there to observe how Russian forces were countering U.S.-made weaponry employed by the Ukrainian military. Tragically, their visit coincided with the airstrike on a Russian military base, leading to their fatalities, while three other North Korean officials sustained injuries and were subsequently evacuated to Moscow for medical care.

As the bonds between Russia and North Korea continue to strengthen, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) revealed last year that North Korea had sent a special unit to the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. However, it remains uncertain whether this unit is intended for combat operations.