WRITTEN BY SHAUN PINNER, UKRAINE CHIEF CORRESPONDENT
22ND AUG 26
There is a much bigger story developing around Russia’s war against Ukraine, and remarkably, much of the world appears to be treating it as background noise.
North Korea is becoming an active participant in a European war with troops, ammunition and ballistic missiles are supporting Russia, while Ukrainian intelligence is now tracking KN-23, KN-24 and heavier KN-30 systems connected to Moscow’s war effort. The KN-23 has already moved from being an exotic addition to Russia’s arsenal to part of the ballistic threat facing Ukrainian cities.
Yet where is the outrage?
That question became particularly difficult to ignore after another devastating attack on Kyiv. Russia launched 168 attack drones and 46 cruise or air-launched missiles, alongside ballistic and hypersonic weapons, including Kalibrs, Kinzhals, Zircons, Iskanders and North Korean KN-23s.
Ukraine intercepted almost 87% of the drones and cruise missiles publicly accounted for.
But not one of the high-speed ballistic missiles was reported intercepted.
That is the problem.
Russia has found a vulnerability, and North Koreais helping it exploit it.
Ukraine simply does not possess enough Patriot interceptors and other anti-ballistic systems to provide comprehensive protection against these attacks, and just a handful of ballistic missiles getting through can transform an otherwise extraordinarily successful night for Ukrainian air defence into another morning of bodies being pulled from buildings.
And Pyongyang increasingly understands that too.
This Is No Longer Just Russian Escalation
For years, North Korea’s involvement could be discussed in terms of weapons shipments and ammunition.
That description is becoming dangerously outdated.
North Korean troops have fought alongside Russian forces while ballistic missiles are being fired continually into Ukraine. The countries intelligence says a North Korean missile unit has deployed to Russia, meanwhile, Pyongyang is gaining something money cannot easily buy: real-world battlefield experience against Western weapons and air-defence systems in the largest European war since 1945.
Think about the significance of that.
Every launch potentially provides engineers and military planners with information about reliability, accuracy, Ukrainian interception attempts and how their weapons perform against Western-supported defences.
Ukraine has effectively become North Korea’sweapons laboratory.
And Kim Jong Un gets that experience while strengthening his strategic relationship with Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, the Response?
Silence.
Well, not complete silence.
Europe has condemned Pyongyang. The European Union has also condemned North Korean ballistic-missile transfers “in the strongest possible terms.” The EU and South Korea have condemned troop deployments and military cooperation with Moscow.
Among friends, we often joke about Europe’s seemingly endless supply of “strongly worded condemnations” whenever Russia escalates. But there comes a point where another strongly worded condemnation begins to sound rather hollow, and, my God, if North Korean ballistic missiles being fired into European cities still only gets us to the “strongly worded condemnation” stage, the joke stopped being funny a long time ago.
If that does not constitute a major geopolitical escalation demanding considerably greater urgency, what exactly does?
Even more remarkably, at precisely the moment Pyongyang is deepening its involvement in Russia’s war, Washington appears increasingly willing to accommodate Kim Jong Un. Trump has praised his relationship with Kim and sought renewed engagement, while North Korea continues strengthening its relationship with Moscow.
What has Kim offered in return?
Very little.
Look at the Overall Picture
This cannot be viewed as a collection of unrelated developments.
Russia is producing and stockpiling missiles, Ukraine has a serious ballistic-interception gap. North Korea is also supplying ballistic weapons, providing manpower and deepening military cooperation with Moscow while winter is approaching.
That should be setting off political alarm bells across Europe and beyond.
Instead, each escalation seems to be absorbed into the background noise of the war: another missile type, another deployment, another statement of condemnation.
That is perhaps the most dangerous development of all.
Because North Korea is no longer simply supplying Putin’s invasion from afar, it is becoming an increasingly active participant in it.
Ukraine is the frontline, but the consequences of continued weakness from our European partners 🇪🇺 will not stop at Ukraine’s borders if we lose this war. 🇺🇦
Russia will emerge with North Korea as an established, battle-hardened partner, its troops experienced, its missiles tested against Western air defences, and its military relationship with Moscow considerably stronger.
Only then, that partnership will be positioned directly on NATO’s border.
I was once told silence was golden.
In international politics, right now, it is deafening.
Original article, with extra content, videos etc, can be viewed here :
And from Stand With Ukraine :
Garry Kasparov :
North Korea does not pose a threat? What do you call 60 nuclear warheads pointed at South Korea? And it is not just a question of South Korea: What about missiles launched over Japan? Thousands of Korean People’s Army troops fighting Russia’s war against Ukraine? The bad guys are working together. The democratic world cannot afford holes in our armor.
Garry Kasparov :
“Land for peace” with Russia always means no land, no peace.
Garry Kasparov :
It’s true that the DSA is anti-American, but this definition of anti-Americanism would also include most of the current White House administration, which can’t criticize Russia while Trump himself routinely praises US enemies Putin, Xi, and Kim Jong-un.
Garry Kasparov:
Every Russian attack in Europe must be met with more weapons for Ukraine, immediately. Deterrence and victory.
Shaun :
“Trump is either crazy or owned by Putin.”
I’d say both.
He has another thing in common with the rat nazi : they are both evil.
Yuri Josef Koszarycz :
65 students were killed in the successful attack; the commander and the school’s training director, “Bury”, are confirmed to be among the victims.
Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces attacked a school for drone pilots located in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region yesterday. The pilots were to join Akhmat-associated forces after training. The attack destroyed production and repair facilities, four armoured vehicles, ammunition depots and a large number of drone components.
At least 65 people were killed, including the school’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel “Bury”.
A successful and well-executed mission by Ukraine’s drone pilots has now resulted in one of Russia’s drone schools and its training director being eliminated, and almost all of the school’s students dead.
The unit that films and spreads Russian propaganda now had its own annihilation recorded from above.
Ukraine closely monitors everything that happens on the battlefield, so who is willing to be part of the next group to be wiped out?
“Bury” got smoked.
Very good.
“my God, if North Korean ballistic missiles being fired into European cities still only gets us to the “strongly worded condemnation” stage, the joke stopped being funny a long time ago.”
It stopped after Bucha.
The IranaZis and norks provide unlimited military support, whilst the chicoms and the India-naZis provide the cash.
Putler has well over half the world’s population on his side and all the world’s most evil shitholes.
What foolishness has Europe done and what things has Europe not done that is foolish? The list is a long one.