Latest news with #SergeyShoigu
AllAfrica
23-06-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
North Korea overtakes Iran as Russia's partner of choice
North Korea is no longer just supplying Russia with manpower and missiles. It is embedding itself deep within Russia's war economy, sending thousands of workers to the heart of its drone industry and reshaping the balance of power in Eurasia. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that 25,000 North Korean workers are being sent to Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan to assist with the manufacturing of Shahed drones, part of a deal reportedly brokered during Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang. Satellite imagery reveals new dormitory construction at the Alabuga site, indicating Russia's intention to increase drone production from 2,000 to 5,000 units per month. Ukrainian intelligence chief Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov confirmed this development, citing the growing cooperation between Russia and North Korea and warning of the strategic implications for both Ukraine and South Korea. He added that some North Korean workers may be contracted into the Russian defense service. The Alabuga plant, repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian strikes, remains a critical node in Russia's standoff strike capability, particularly amid high attrition from its war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia is reportedly assisting North Korea in enhancing the accuracy of KN-23 missiles, long-range air-to-air munitions, and submarine-launched systems. The transfer of labor and technology underscores tightening bilateral military ties as both regimes confront isolation and intensifying global scrutiny. Russia may be shifting its partnership of convenience from Iran to North Korea. As Iran falters under Israeli and US airstrikes and unfulfilled Russian arms deals, North Korea pulls ahead, embedding itself in Russia's war machine and Far Eastern strategy. While Russia and Iran have a long history of distrust and conflict, their mutual disdain for the Western-dominated international order, autocratic governments and heavily sanctioned economies in the aftermath of the former's invasion of Ukraine has placed them in the same boat. Iran has sought to make itself indispensable to Russia's war effort by supplying Shahed drones, tactical gear, and artillery in exchange for revenue and to avoid diplomatic isolation. It may have also sought Russian investment in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Yet as Russia transitioned to a war economy and began producing Shahed drones locally, Iran's leverage may have declined, undercutting the latter's efforts to extract security guarantees or financial backing from the former. Furthermore, while Iran has consistently requested advanced Russian equipment, such as Su-35 fighter jets, these deliveries have not yet materialized, as Russia may need those fighters more urgently in its conflict with Ukraine. In October 2024, Israel destroyed Iran's prized S-300 surface-to-air missile (SAM) launchers, leaving the latter exposed to current air attacks. While Iran has downplayed the need to purchase the more advanced S-400 from Russia, citing the superior capabilities of its domestic systems, this could be a cover-up for Russia's refusal to provide such systems for the same reason it has withheld Su-35 fighters. However, Israeli strikes on Iran present mixed implications for Russia. For one, while such strikes may have undermined Russia as a credible partner, strikes on Iranian oil and gas infrastructure may have eliminated Iran as a competitor to Russian energy exports. Yet, these gains may be short-lived. Israel admits that its strikes are not sufficient to destroy Iran's nuclear program and that the goal is to pressure Iran back into negotiations. Furthermore, it is unknown how Iran would respond in the aftermath. A nuclear-armed Iran may ultimately undermine Russia's influence. Russia may have less leverage over a nuclear-armed Iran, potentially triggering a Middle East nuclear arms race, with Saudi Arabia stressing that it will develop nuclear weapons if Iran gets the bomb. Despite that possible long-term setback, Israeli strikes may distract the US from Ukraine, drawing attention and resources away from confronting Russia. It also allows Russia to point out US 'double standards,' with the US distancing itself from Israeli combat operations in Gaza while supporting Israeli strikes on Iran that have caused civilian casualties. As Iran buckles under sustained Israeli and now US strikes, North Korea is stepping into the breach, presenting an entirely different set of nuances. North Korea and Russia share deep ties dating back to the Korean War, and the former's nuclear arsenal arguably makes it a safer long-term investment for the latter. North Korea has deepened its role in Russia's war effort, providing matériel and manpower while reaping combat insights, hard currency, and access to advanced systems. North Korea's interest in supporting Russia in Ukraine may be to reduce its overdependence on China, its main political and economic lifeline, to maintain strategic autonomy and regime survival. These aims may clash with China's goal of maintaining stability in the Korean Peninsula. Arguably, North Korean missile tests pose a threat to China just as much as they are to Japan and South Korea, prompting China to threaten to scale down political and economic ties with North Korea. To those ends, North Korea is actively developing nuclear delivery systems with possible Russian assistance, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that could reach the US mainland and nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) that ensure a second-strike capability. While a belligerent North Korea serves China and Russia's mutual interest of undermining the Western-dominated international order, it remains uncertain whether this wartime alignment will evolve into a lasting partnership once the guns fall silent in Ukraine. Despite Russia being heavily sanctioned, it still seeks to resume trade with the US, raising doubts about the long-term growth of Russia-North Korea relations. However, beyond the Russia-Ukraine War, Russia may use North Korea as leverage against China's growing presence, economic influence, and territorial ambitions in the Russian Far East, strengthening economic, political, and military ties to form a buffer state. In turn, North Korea maintains its autonomy by balancing ties between Russia and China, with its nuclear arsenal providing a strategic backstop against regime change. With Iran sidelined and China's shadow growing, North Korea is fast becoming Russia's most dangerous and dependable ally, fueling its war machine, fortifying its eastern flank, and tilting Eurasia's strategic balance in Russia's favor.
Russia Today
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
North Korea to send military personnel to Russia
North Korea will deploy thousands of military personnel to Russia's Kursk Region to aid in demining operations and reconstruction efforts, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday. North Korean troops fought alongside Russian forces to liberate Kursk Region from a cross-border Ukrainian incursion that lasted from August 2024 to April 2025. Shoigu described the new deployment as an extension of North Korea's military support to Russia under the two countries' strategic partnership treaty. '[North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un has made the decision to send to Russia 1,000 mine clearance specialists to sweep the Russian territory,' he said. He added that an additional 5,000 military engineers will help 'rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the occupants.' Ukraine launched its large-scale incursion into the region last August, in what officials in Kiev hyped at the time as a blow to Russia. However, Russian forces quickly turned the tide, and by the time Ukrainian forces were fully expelled in late April, the Defense Ministry in Moscow estimated that Kiev's forces had sustained more than 76,000 casualties in the operation. On Monday, Moscow and Kiev completed a series of exchanges of the remains of fallen soldiers. Russia returned the remains 6,060 Ukrainian soldiers, many from the Kursk campaign, while Ukraine handed over 78. The Russian Defense Ministry said it held an additional 1,248 bodies that it was prepared to hand over to Kiev. Weeks before the Kursk incursion, Russia and North Korea signed a strategic partnership treaty, which included provisions for mutual defense in the event of foreign aggression. President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the involvement of North Korean soldiers in repelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Region and hailed them as heroes and 'brothers-in-arms' alongside Russian troops when the joint defensive operation was over. Shoigu said he has been making regular visits to Pyongyang in recent months due to what he described as 'the intensive pace of the implementation' of the partnership agreement. He noted that maintaining momentum 'requires constant attention and course-correction on all levels.'
Arab News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Russian media say top official is in Pyongyang again to meet North Korean leader
SEOUL: A top Russian security official traveled to Pyongyang for the second time this month for another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian state media reported Tuesday, the latest display of the countries' deepening ties amid President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. Russia's Tass news agency said Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu arrived in the North Korean capital on an unspecified 'special' mission from Putin and was expected to meet with Kim. North Korean state media didn't immediately confirm the visit. Kim has supplied Russia with thousands of troops and large shipments of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to support its military operation in Ukraine. Washington and Seoul have expressed concern that, in return, Kim may seek Russian technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by his nuclear-armed military. In April, Pyongyang and Moscow officially confirmed North Korean troops' deployment to Russia for the first time, saying that soldiers of the two countries were fighting alongside each other to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. Putin then thanked North Korea's participation in the war and promised not to forget their sacrifices. In their previous meeting on June 4, Kim told Shoigu that his government would 'unconditionally support' Russia over the war in Ukraine and other critical international issues as they discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between their countries, according to North Korean state media. Tass then reported that Shoigu and Kim also discussed prospects for rebuilding the Kursk region and outlined steps to commemorate the combat contributions of North Korean soldiers.
The Independent
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Russian media say top official is in Pyongyang again to meet North Korean leader
A top Russian security official traveled to Pyongyang for the second time this month for another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian state media reported Tuesday, the latest display of the countries' deepening ties amid President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. Russia's Tass news agency said Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu arrived in the North Korean capital on an unspecified 'special' mission from Putin and was expected to meet with Kim. North Korean state media didn't immediately confirm the visit. Kim has supplied Russia with thousands of troops and large shipments of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to support its military operation in Ukraine. Washington and Seoul have expressed concern that, in return, Kim may seek Russian technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by his nuclear-armed military. In April, Pyongyang and Moscow officially confirmed North Korean troops' deployment to Russia for the first time, saying that soldiers of the two countries were fighting alongside each other to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. Putin then thanked North Korea's participation in the war and promised not to forget their sacrifices. In their previous meeting on June 4, Kim told Shoigu that his government would 'unconditionally support' Russia over the war in Ukraine and other critical international issues as they discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between their countries, according to North Korean state media. Tass then reported that Shoigu and Kim also discussed prospects for rebuilding the Kursk region and outlined steps to commemorate the combat contributions of North Korean soldiers.
Washington Post
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Russian media says top security official is in Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader
SEOUL, South Korea — A top Russian security official traveled to Pyongyang for the second time this month for another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian state media reported Tuesday, the latest display of the countries' deepening ties amid President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. Russia's Tass news agency said Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu arrived in the North Korean capital on an unspecified 'special' mission from Putin and was expected to meet with Kim. North Korean state media didn't immediately confirm the visit.
