According to Seoul's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, North Korea is currently sending troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
Kim told South Korean politicians on Tuesday that it was “highly likely” that six North Korean officers were killed in Ukraine's missile attack on Donetsk last week.
Kim said, “Considering various circumstances, we assess that there is a high possibility that there will be casualties among North Korean soldiers in Ukraine,'' and that North Korea will send more soldiers to Russia in the near future. He added that he expected it.
“The relationship between Russia and North Korea is developing into something almost as close as a military alliance,” he said. “So, from our perspective, more North Korean troops could be brought into the war.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during their June 19 visit.
The defense secretary corroborated Ukrainian reports that North Koreans are now directly involved in the war.
Russia and North Korea have deepened ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The two nuclear powers signed a defense pact in June during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea.
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South Korea claims that North Korea has become a major arms supplier to Russia in the war.
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North Korea has recently stepped up production and testing of artillery and cruise missiles. In March, Russia invoked its veto at the United Nations and ended monitoring North Korea for violating a ban on ballistic technology testing.
Ukraine's military said Wednesday that a Ukrainian drone hit a major weapons depot in Russia, about 110 miles from the border. Weapons sent from North Korea were stored there.
President Putin and Chairman Kim Jong Un drive an Aurus car in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024.
North Korean soldiers are currently fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine. (Reuters/Alex Babenko)
extremely powerful glide bomb The ammunition that terrorized civilian areas of Ukraine and defeated Ukrainian military defenses was also stored in an armory 115 kilometers (70 miles) from the Ukrainian border, with some of the ammunition reportedly being stored outdoors. Ukraine said.
Iran has also been shipping missiles to Russia in recent months, according to U.S. defense officials. Russian soldiers are training with the Fas-360 short-range ballistic missile, which has a maximum range of 110 km, in Iran.
On Friday, President Putin will meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
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On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wished his “closest comrade” President Putin a happy birthday and insisted the two countries' military alliance would make them “invincible.”
Kim said Putin would lead “great Russia” on the path to victory.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
