be logistical 'mess’ Putin won’t 'allow': Russia expert
Climbing Russian causalities and reports suggesting that Russia is now looking to North Korea to aid its flagging troops raised eyebrows this week as some began to question whether Moscow would drag Pyongyang into its war in Ukraine.
Russia expert and former intelligence officer in Russian doctrine and strategy for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Rebekah Koffler, threw cold water on these claims and said they were "implausible."
"The Russian propaganda machine could say that 100,000 North Korean volunteers would fight on behalf of Russia, just to scare the West, but in reality, it’s disinformation," she said in answer to questions from Fox News Digital.
RUSSIA CREATES NEW VOLUNTEER GROUND FORCE AS TROOP NUMBERS FLAG, UK INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONS EFFECTIVENESS
Reports claiming that North Korea may send up to 100,000 soldiers to aid Russia’s campaign in Ukraine began to circulate on Western and Russian news sites this week after the pro-Kremlin Regnum News Agency released an article earlier this month suggesting as much.
The article dated Aug. 2 said that "North Korea, through diplomatic channels, made it clear that it is ready to help the LPR [Luhansk People’s Republic] and DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] in strengthening defense[s]" and "is ready to transfer up to 100,000 of its soldiers."
"Pyongyang will be able to transfer its tactical units to the Donbas," the article continued.
The report never detailed whether the news outlet obtained the "diplomatic channels" referenced in the report but instead pointed to comments made by a Russian member of parliament who championed Pyongyang’s alleged willingness to help.
North Korea in March backed Russia when it joined it and three other nations in voting against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
But Koffler said Pyongyang’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin does not mean the Kremlin chief would actually allow North Korea to send ground forces into Ukraine.
"Putin will never accept — it’s implausible," she said. "Just think about the sheer scale of it."
Apart from the fact that Russia and North Korea have not held joint combat training and Pyongyang hasn’t even seen active combat in decades, the logistics of such an alliance would prove tricky.
"The command-and-control aspect of it is impossible. They do not speak Russian," Koffler said in reference to the average North Korean soldier. "How are they going to use Russian weapons systems?"
RUSSIA LAUNCHES IRANIAN SATELLITE INTO SPACE AMID FEARS IT WILL BE USED TO SURVEIL UKRAINE"It would make more of a mess than it would help," she added.As Russian causalities in Ukraine continue to climb and Moscow continues to increase joint military drills with neighboring Belarus, some have become concerned Putin may add to his fighting force with the help of Minsk