N. Korea Gains Battle-Tested Logistics Edge in Russia War, Brunson Says
(MENAFN) North Korea is building hard-won expertise in moving troops and materiel across vast distances through its role in Russia’s war on Ukraine, the commander of US Forces Korea said Tuesday.
Gen. Xavier Brunson told a discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington that Pyongyang’s backing of Moscow has sharpened its operational capabilities, according to a South Korean wire service.
“They’ve learned how to go from North Korea to find themselves in Russia to move men, weapons and equipment there,” Brunson said.
The experience, he said, goes well beyond battlefield tactics. North Korean forces have practiced setting up supply chains, shifting personnel and equipment over long distances and mobilizing military resources.
Brunson cautioned that Pyongyang’s ability to fold those wartime lessons into its own operations could make deterrence harder for Washington and Seoul.
He also said Russia has supplied North Korea with military equipment, including electronic warfare jammers, as payment for its support.
On the proposed handover of wartime operational control from the US to South Korea, Brunson repeated his backing for a conditions-based transition. He warned against moving ahead before critical military requirements are satisfied.
He further proposed deepening cooperation with South Korea’s defense industry to build regional maintenance and repair capacity for US military equipment.
The remarks follow a July period in which South Korea was tracking reports of further North Korean troop deployments to Russia, while Japan condemned the deepening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The two countries tightened their military partnership after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense treaty in June 2024.
Gen. Xavier Brunson told a discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington that Pyongyang’s backing of Moscow has sharpened its operational capabilities, according to a South Korean wire service.
“They’ve learned how to go from North Korea to find themselves in Russia to move men, weapons and equipment there,” Brunson said.
The experience, he said, goes well beyond battlefield tactics. North Korean forces have practiced setting up supply chains, shifting personnel and equipment over long distances and mobilizing military resources.
Brunson cautioned that Pyongyang’s ability to fold those wartime lessons into its own operations could make deterrence harder for Washington and Seoul.
He also said Russia has supplied North Korea with military equipment, including electronic warfare jammers, as payment for its support.
On the proposed handover of wartime operational control from the US to South Korea, Brunson repeated his backing for a conditions-based transition. He warned against moving ahead before critical military requirements are satisfied.
He further proposed deepening cooperation with South Korea’s defense industry to build regional maintenance and repair capacity for US military equipment.
The remarks follow a July period in which South Korea was tracking reports of further North Korean troop deployments to Russia, while Japan condemned the deepening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The two countries tightened their military partnership after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense treaty in June 2024.
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