Gen. Hilbert issues warning in Washington; North Korea-Russia cooperation 'obvious'

Over 16,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia; casualties estimated at 6,000

Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the Eighth Army, speaks at a change-of-command ceremony for the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. [Yonhap]
Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the Eighth Army, speaks at a change-of-command ceremony for the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. [Yonhap]

A senior US Forces Korea commander has warned that North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine are gaining firsthand experience in modern warfare — including drone operations and electronic warfare — making them a more dangerous adversary for combined US-South Korean forces.

Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the Eighth Army, told reporters in Washington earlier this month that North Korean soldiers "are coming home with the experience of this war," according to Axios, which reported the remarks Tuesday (local time).

Hilbert said the conflict is reshaping the nature of modern warfare. "North Korea will closely examine the technological changes on the battlefield, including the growing role of unmanned systems and aerial drones," he said. "Just as we are all watching how war is changing in Ukraine and the Middle East, North Korea is clearly doing the same."

He stopped short of detailing specific aspects of North Korea-Russia military cooperation but was unequivocal on one point. "There is obvious cooperation," Hilbert said.

Evidence has emerged that North Korean troops operated drones in the field. The Institute for the Study of War said in August it had captured evidence of North Korean forces operating reconnaissance drones and first-person-view drones alongside Russian troops in the Kursk region of Russia.

The scale of the deployment has continued to grow. South Korean intelligence authorities estimate that more than 16,000 North Korean personnel have traveled to Russia since the first large-scale deployment in October 2024. Casualties among North Korean troops were estimated at around 6,000 as of February.

The possibility of further deployments has also been raised. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 28 that North Korea was preparing to send an additional 10,000 troops and that more than 8,000 were already believed to be stationed in Russia. He also suggested North Korea could provide as many as 50,000 troops in total.

North Korea is believed to have received advanced Russian military technology in exchange for the deployments. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, which monitors compliance with North Korea sanctions, said in a report last May that Russia had provided North Korea with at least one Pantsir mobile air defense system, Pantsir-class combat vehicles and electronic warfare equipment.

The top USFK commander has officially confirmed this. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, said at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event in Washington on Oct. 13 that North Korea "didn't have that jamming equipment before" and that "that equipment came from Russia."


rimsclub@heraldcorp.com