Satellite images show new construction at facilities previously used to train troops sent to Ukraine; a large building at one site vanished between July and mid-August

Soldiers from overseas operations units and overseas engineer regiments who were deployed to the war in Ukraine march carrying Russian and North Korean flags at a military parade marking the ninth party congress, broadcast on Korean Central Television in February. [Yonhap]
Soldiers from overseas operations units and overseas engineer regiments who were deployed to the war in Ukraine march carrying Russian and North Korean flags at a military parade marking the ninth party congress, broadcast on Korean Central Television in February. [Yonhap]

North Korea appears to have begun modernizing its urban warfare training facilities, satellite imagery suggests, as speculation mounts over a possible additional deployment of its troops to Russia.

NK News, a US-based outlet specializing in North Korea, reported Wednesday (local time) that satellite images from Planet Labs show North Korea began constructing 10 additional buildings on a hillside within the Korean People's Army's Training Center No. 60 in the Gangdong area of Pyongyang in June.

The facility is one North Korea previously used for special forces training before deploying troops to support Russia on the Ukrainian battlefield.

NK News noted that the buildings' locations suggest they are likely intended for shooting practice or infiltration training rather than actual residential or office use.

Changes were also detected at an urban warfare training area in Eunsan County linked to units under North Korea's 11th Corps, also known as the Special Operations Force.

Satellite images show new construction activity across the training site, and a large building that had appeared there in July was no longer visible in imagery taken in mid-August.

According to NK News, this raises the possibility that the building was destroyed during live training exercises by North Korean troops.

North Korea currently operates dozens of urban warfare training facilities across the country, but most were built decades ago and are in need of updating, the outlet said.

The modernization work is taking place amid growing speculation that North Korea could send additional troops to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in July that Russia had asked North Korea for additional troop deployments. In an interview with a Ukrainian broadcaster on Aug. 9, he said a decision had been made to station between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com