Speculation about the presence of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine had been mounting for weeks, but President Zelenskiy acknowledged their presence for the first time.
North Korea, which on paper has one of the world's largest armies and has been supplying munitions to Russia for months to support so-called special military operations inside Ukraine, could now provide direct military aid. said Kiev for the first time. time. In an evening speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared to acknowledge what has been discussed for weeks by other world leaders and observers of the war in Ukraine. report german newspaper die welthis speech has been translated as “North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside the Russians.”
Ukrainian state media published President Zelenskiy's speech in which he said of the development: [Russia] And as regimes like North Korea become more and more powerful, it is no longer just about the transfer of arms, but about the transfer of people from North Korea to the occupier's army. ”
This development clearly shows that Ukraine requires more weapons, and will be wary of allowing existing weapons to be used for long-range attacks into Russia's interior, thereby weakening the war machine. There is a need. He added: “In this situation, it is clear that we need to further develop our relationships with our partners. We need more support on the front lines. When we talk about providing more decisive supplies, it's not just a list of military equipment.”
There are many foreigners fighting for both Kiev and Moscow in Ukraine, but support for North Korean troops could be a big boost for Russia. On paper, the country's military numbers more than 1 million people, but like everything within the secret state long under the communist yoke, it remains unclear how fully or partially deployed it is. It is unclear whether it is ready.
However, North Korea has some clear advantages. While the free world took full advantage of the “peace dividend” it received at the end of the Cold War, cutting military spending and redirecting the funds to other purposes, reducing its stockpile of expensive weapons in the process, North Korea did not do so. It has a stockpile of 20th century Soviet-style ammunition.
Russia appears to have been extracting these rich reserves from North Korea for months. In August, Russia was reported to have received 13,000 munitions shipping containers from North Korea. Any amount half of all shells It has been stated that what Russia currently uses in Ukraine may be made in North Korea, but this comes at a price, with claims that much, perhaps even half, of it is made in North Korea. . Decades have passed and now it's gone.
Zelenskiy's apparent acknowledgment that North Korean soldiers are operating in Ukraine is the first presidential statement on the issue, which has been debated both inside and outside Ukraine for weeks. Breitbart News earlier this month reflected the view that North Korea is “likely” sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine, possibly inflicting casualties on the ground, given its northern neighbor's actions. Reported the statement of the South Korean Minister of Defense.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said, “Considering various circumstances, we assess that there is a high possibility that North Korean soldiers will be killed or injured in Ukraine.'' times A London newspaper also reported separately on the matter. cite sources The Ukrainian government explained this month: [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] A limited number of military personnel, mostly engineers, oversee the quality and use of Pyongyang weapons by the Russian military. Some have already passed away. ”
