In South Korea, the Defense Ministry says North Korea could send troops to assist Russia in its war in Ukraine. An announcement that comes a few days after the death of six North Korean officers near Donetsk during a Ukrainian missile strike. For the moment, North Korea has not communicated on this possible sending of armed forces.
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“ The issue of deployment of regular troops is very likely due to mutual agreements (passed between Moscow and Pyongyang) which resemble a military alliance between Russia and the North Korea », Estimated South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Rumors were already circulating about sending a unit of North Korean engineers to the occupied Ukrainian territories to help with their reconstruction.
This weekend, a Ukrainian media outlet claimed that six North Korean officers were killed in a missile strike and three others were injured. These soldiers would have been present near Donetsk to observe Russian operations. “ We assess it as highly likely that there were casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine, given various circumstances. », Reacted the minister. Also, experts have been ensuring for several months that North Korean missiles are deployed in Ukraine by Russian forces.
Ukraine as a training ground for North Korea?
This could be further proof of military cooperation between the Russia and North Korea who signed a mutual defense treaty in June. The North Korean regime has already reportedly supplied around three million artillery shells to Russia during the year. However, North Korea and Russia have never confirmed this information and deny the presence of North Korean weapons and personnel on the Ukrainian front. When questioned, the Pentagon said these North Korean soldiers could become cannon fodder for Vladimir Putin
“ For North Korea, which has supplied Russia with many shells and missiles, it is crucial to learn how to use different weapons and gain real combat experience “, says Lim Eul-chul, professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. “ It may even have been a determining factor in sending North Korean soldiers to provide them with diverse experiences and wartime training. », he adds. Under UN sanctions, Pyongyang is prohibited from carrying out any weapons tests using ballistic technology. Moscow, however, used its veto in March at the United Nations Security Council to end the UN sanctions monitoring system targeting its long-time ally.