The decision to send RGB agents came in early October following a Russian request for war assistance
By Lee Sang Yong
December 9, 2024
Daily NK
North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Oct. 15 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “convened a consultative meeting on National Defence and Security,” where he heard several reports, including a report from the director of the General Reconnaissance Bureau on the general analysis of the case of the enemy’s serious provocation that violated the sovereignty of the DPRK and a report from the chief of the KPA General Staff on the military counteraction plan. (Rodong Sinmun, News1)
Daily NK has learned that North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), which oversees espionage operations in South Korea and abroad, deployed several hundred agents to the Russia-Ukraine war in early November.
The deployment of specialized infiltration and reconnaissance units appears aimed at strengthening North Korea’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, according to a source inside North Korea who spoke with Daily NK last Thursday.
The decision to send RGB agents came in early October following a Russian request for war assistance. Before deployment, agents underwent rigorous preparation including fitness tests and training in tactics, basic Russian language, and Russian military equipment operation.
Agents were cautioned that battlefield conditions would differ from their training and were instructed to study Russian military tactical experience from the past three years. They received additional training in reconnaissance and intelligence analysis to showcase RGB expertise, enabling immediate operational deployment upon arrival.
After completing weather and terrain acclimatization training in Russia, select units were sent directly to the battlefield, while others await assignments at a training center in the Russian Far East.
The agents’ duties include information collection, battle planning, special operations support, electronic reconnaissance, and signal jamming. They use hacking and other techniques to track Ukrainian force movements in real time and report to military commanders.
Drawing on their training in special operations—including assassinations, kidnapping, and terrorism—the agents help identify effective strike targets through environmental analysis. They reportedly conduct tactical missions using suicide drones to strike enemy leadership and undermine combat morale.
“The regime views cooperation with the Russian army as an excellent opportunity to gain modern tactical experience and learn about cutting-edge weapon systems, both directly and indirectly,” the source said.
North Korea also sees the RGB deployment as a way to counter international isolation. Pyongyang hopes its soldiers’ sacrifices will encourage Russia to help undermine U.N. sanctions while building lasting military ties.
The source indicated that Pyongyang believes this deployment “could strengthen its military capabilities, enhance foreign military operations, and increase military alignment with Russia.
“Young soldiers are ultimately shedding blood in a foreign war because the government deems bloodshed essential for building trust,” the source noted.
Given agents’ potential exposure to foreign media during electronic warfare operations, the regime has reportedly implemented strict surveillance measures. “The agents operate under close monitoring,” the source said, adding that they are instructed to ignore any foreign news discussions during interactions with Russian troops.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.