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North Korean troops and the war's widening circle
Summary
A look back at what had been reported by 22 October 2024 about North Korea's role in Russia's war and Western military aid.
What did the war in Ukraine look like on 22 October 2024? Reports in the preceding days pointed to a conflict drawing in more outside actors, with Pyongyang the most prominent new one.
Pyongyang enters the picture
On 16 October 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said North Korea had become directly involved in the war. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said around 3,000 North Korean troops were in Russia and training for deployment to Russian-occupied territories.
Two days later, on 18 October, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korea had started sending troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a security meeting and said the international community must respond with all available means.
Western support continues
On 16 October, the same day as Zelenskyy's remarks, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new $425 million military aid package for Ukraine. It included long-range weaponry.
A Russian aircraft lost in Sudan
A separate incident on 21 October involved Russians far from the front. An Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane crashed in North Darfur, Sudan, killing its crew of two Russians and three Sudanese nationals. The Rapid Support Forces claimed they had shot the aircraft down with a surface-to-air missile and said they had recovered its flight recorder. Russia said its diplomats in Sudan were investigating the crash.
Taken together, the reports from this period show a war whose backers and participants were increasingly international: Ukraine receiving fresh American arms, and Russia reported to be receiving troops from North Korea.
