Ukraine war: North Korean soldiers likely fighting alongside Russian troops, says Seoul
File photo.
South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday (Oct 8) that North Korean soldiers were likely fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian troops, with some already believed to be killed and moreexpected to be deployed.
Both Russia and Ukraine have foreign fighters in their militaries. Citing Ukrainian media, a report by the news agency AFP said that six officers of the North Korean military were killed in aUkrainian missile attack on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk on October 3.
'Pyongyang expected to send more foot soldiers'
South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun told lawmakers on Tuesday it was highly likely that the claims made by the Ukrainian media were true.
"We assess that the occurrence of casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine is highly likely, considering various circumstances," Defence Minister Kim said.
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He added that Pyongyang was expected to send more foot soldiers to support Russia's war effort.
North Korea's involvement in Ukraine war
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine began in late February 2022, experts have long said that North Korea has supplied missiles to Russian forces- something both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied.
Meanwhile, South Korea claimed that North Korea sent thousands of containers of weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to Pyongyang in June, where he signed a mutual defence agreement with leader Kim Jong Un.
Analysts have warned that the recent ramped-up testing and production of artillery and cruise missiles by the Northcould be in preparation for shipments to Russia.
'The next logical step'
Experts pointed out that moving from supplying shells to soldiers in Russia was the next logical step (for North Korea).
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Speaking to AFP,Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said, "For North Korea, which has supplied Russia with many shells and missiles, it's crucial to learn how to handle different weapons and gain real-world combat experience."
"This might even be a driving factor behind sending North Korean soldiers —- to provide them with diverse experiences and war-time training," Lim added.
(With inputs from agencies)