Intelligence from the Asian country indicates that some 1,500 troops have already arrived in Russia. Anonymous sources shared more details with South Korean media.
The spy agency South Korea reported that North Korea sent troops to support Russia during his military invasion of Ukraine a war that has lasted for more than two years since February 24, 2022.
The report from the National Intelligence Service of the Asian country was submitted this Friday, October 18. a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky said his government had information related to .
More specifically, the Ukrainian president He assured that they were aware that some 10,000 North Korean soldiers were preparing to join the forces commanded by the Kremlin. .
What do we know about the alleged sending of North Korean soldiers to support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine?
In a statement to which the international news agency had access P.A. the South Korean intelligence agency detailed that Russian naval ships have already transferred some 1,500 North Korean special operations troops to the port city of Vladivostok. .
According to this information, this happened between October 8 and 13, while More troops should be sent soon .
South Korean media cited their country’s intelligence sources who, on condition of anonymity: They claimed that the Kim Jong-un regime had decided to send a total of 12,000 troops to Russia to contribute to its offensive on Ukrainian territory. .
However, From the organization they stated that they could not confirm this specific point. according to the aforementioned news agency.
Along with the above-mentioned reports, the National Intelligence Service of South Korea has accused North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia of having received Russian military uniforms, in addition to arm and falsified documents identification.
He also said that the uniformed men sent by Kim Jong-un They are currently located at military bases in Vladivostok and other Russian locations. such as Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk.
From the South Korean intelligence service They assume they could be sent to battlefields after completing military readiness training. .
What would deploying North Korean soldiers in Russia’s war in Ukraine mean?
The deployment of North Korean soldiers during the Russian invasion of Ukraine would result in North Korea’s first major involvement in a foreign war warned analysts from the aforementioned news agency.
Pyongyang’s forces have not fought in large-scale conflicts since the Korean War which took place between June 1950 and July 1953.
Although the alleged participation of North Korean troops is presented as a threat to kyiv, experts have clarified that, Generally speaking, soldiers from this Asian country lack combat experience compared to those from other nations. .
Likewise, they stated that Russia may have promised North Korea to supply military technology which could be used for its nuclear and missile program.
Professor of international studies at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University Leif-Eric Easley said P.A. that when deploying soldiers, “Diplomatically, Pyongyang would sacrifice its relations with European countries for the foreseeable future” .
In this sense, he warned that “the consideration, in terms of Russian military technology supplied to the Kim regime, this could be important enough to threaten the security of South Korea “.
For his part, analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, Hong Min, also suggested that the head of the North Korean regime might view sending troops as an opportunity for its soldiers to familiarize themselves with the latest weapons technology than those they own.
And also, so that they can test your fighting skills .
How NATO, the United States and Russia reacted to reports that North Korea sent troops
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke about the reports of the National Intelligence Service of South Korea.
When consulted on this point, he declared that, “At this time, our official position is that we cannot confirm reports that North Koreans are now actively involved as soldiers in the war effort.” .
However, he emphasized that “it can change” .
At a press briefing Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder told reporters that could not confirm or corroborate media reports about sending North Korean troops to Russia .
A week before these reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied they were considering North Korean soldiers to support their invasion of Ukraine. and said it was “another fake news”.
On the other hand, North Korean state media has not discussed the issue at least until the day the South Korean intelligence agency presented its report.
The same Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeul calls for security meeting with top officials military, intelligence and national security.
The objective of the proceeding was analyze the alleged participation of North Korean troops in the war in Russia against Ukraine.
From the president’s office they reported, according to Reuters that the participants “shared the view that the current situation, in which closer ties between Russia and North Korea go beyond the movement of military supplies and have reached the dispatch of troops, This is a serious security threat “.
“Not only for our country, but also for the international community “, they said.
It is good to remember that The United States, South Korea and their allies accuse North Korea of supplying conventional weapons to Russia. in the context of a war, in exchange for military and economic aid.
In June, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement providing for mutual military assistance in the event of an attack by either country. .
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
