Gen. Martin Herem has urged greater caution and recognition of their involvement. Writing on his social media account, Gen. Herem stated he had: "Been irritated over the past couple of weeks by our condescending attitude toward the deployment of North Korean soldiers and resources within the Russian Federation's armed forces and against Ukraine."

"First, they are supposedly ineffective because they do not speak the language, have no real combat experience, are unfamiliar with the terrain, and cannot distinguish a Russian from a Ukrainian, among other reasons," he enumerated.

"[However] imagine if, during any Russian assault, 10,000 North Koreans came to our aid... would that not be a reinforcement of significance? Regardless of how culturally alien they may be, if they have the equipment and training and want to fight, well then bring them in," the general continued.

"Pornography, the internet, eating dogs etc. - how does any of this actually make Ukraine's fight easier?" he asked, referring to some of the keyboard warrior-type narratives on the supposed traits the North Koreans have.

"And what if a country with 25 million citizens decides to increase its contribution to the 'international fight against imperialism'?" Herem added.

He also noted that the arrangement made economic sense from a Russian perspective.

Paying US$200 million for 10,000 North Korean soldiers is a cost-effective move for Russia, as their monthly wage would be lower than those of Russian soldiers (US$1,600 versus US$2,000), who also receive substantial recruitment bonuses (US$20,000) and death benefits to families (up to US$150,000), the former EDF chief argued.

North Korean troops offer Russia a cheap manpower source and may even perform comparably to Russian conscripts, former convicts or even volunteers, Herem went on.

Herem pointed out that North Korean ammunition benefits Russia by allowing it to preserve its own stockpiles while using North Korea's aging supplies, purchased cheaply. He suggested that instead of being forced to use inferior munitions due to shortages, Russia might strategically acquire North Korean stock, enabling Moscow to conserve its annually produced shells while North Korea offloads old inventory for compensation.

Much attention has been paid to the deployment of at least 10,000 North Korean troops in support of Russia's efforts against Ukraine, reportedly based in the Kursk oblast, where Ukraine launched a successful incursion in late summer.

Barring some small border clashes with its democratic neighbor to the South, this is the first real combat situation that North Koreans would be involved in in significant numbers since the Korean War of the early 1950s.

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