From July to September, more than 3,700 citizens of the DPRK entered Russia, indicating the purpose of their arrival was to study. The increase in the number of students from the DPRK occurs against the backdrop of Western intelligence reports about the sending of North Korean military personnel to Russia.
In the third quarter of this year, 3,765 citizens of North Korea entered Russia and indicated their purpose of arrival was to study, the independent Russian online publication Mediazona reported on Friday, November 8, citing data from the Russian border service. For comparison, during the entire pre-COVID 2019, 3,200 citizens of the DPRK came to Russia to study. Mediazona notes that quotas for students from North Korea remain low.
In April, according to official data, only about 130 students from the DPRK studied in Russia. The Russian Ministry of Education and Science reported that the following year more than a hundred applications were received from North Korean citizens. Transfer of DPRK soldiers to Russia The increasing influx of students from North Korea to Russia occurs against the backdrop of reports from Western and South Korean intelligence about the sending of DPRK military personnel to the Russian Federation, presumably to participate in the war against Ukraine. According to various sources, there may be about 10 thousand North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region of Russia.
Ukraine reported that in early November, the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered into the first battle with the military from the DPRK. Moscow and Pyongyang did not comment on the information that military personnel from North Korea could participate in hostilities against Ukraine. It is noteworthy that the Russian border service data provided by Mediazona provides information on the entry of North Korean citizens only for the third quarter of 2024. That is, we are talking about the period before American intelligence publicly informed about the sending of North Korean soldiers to Russia. The South Korean Yonhap agency, citing intelligence, reported that the first stage of the transfer of military personnel from the DPRK took place from October 8 to October 13.
In April, according to official data, only about 130 students from the DPRK studied in Russia. The Russian Ministry of Education and Science reported that the following year more than a hundred applications were received from North Korean citizens. Transfer of DPRK soldiers to Russia The increasing influx of students from North Korea to Russia occurs against the backdrop of reports from Western and South Korean intelligence about the sending of DPRK military personnel to the Russian Federation, presumably to participate in the war against Ukraine. According to various sources, there may be about 10 thousand North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region of Russia.
Ukraine reported that in early November, the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered into the first battle with the military from the DPRK. Moscow and Pyongyang did not comment on the information that military personnel from North Korea could participate in hostilities against Ukraine. It is noteworthy that the Russian border service data provided by Mediazona provides information on the entry of North Korean citizens only for the third quarter of 2024. That is, we are talking about the period before American intelligence publicly informed about the sending of North Korean soldiers to Russia. The South Korean Yonhap agency, citing intelligence, reported that the first stage of the transfer of military personnel from the DPRK took place from October 8 to October 13.
