A statement from the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported, this Friday (18), that North Korea sent 1,500 special forces soldiers to the far east of Russia for training and acclimatization at bases local military and will likely be sent to fight in the war in Ukraine.
According to the statement, the NIS is working with the Ukrainian intelligence service and has used facial recognition artificial intelligence technology to identify North Korean officials in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine supporting Russian forces firing missiles north. -Koreans.
Since August last year, North Korea has sent artillery shells, ballistic missiles and anti-tank rockets to Russia in more than 13,000 containers, the agency said, based on the remains of weapons recovered from the battlefront in Ukraine.
In total, more than eight million artillery and rocket shells were sent to Russia, according to the NIS.
“The direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea that was reported by foreign media has now been officially confirmed,” the spy agency said in a statement.
Earlier, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called an unscheduled security meeting with top intelligence, military and national security officials to discuss the involvement of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine, it said. Yoon’s office.
“Participants (…) shared the view that the current situation, in which closer ties between Russia and North Korea have gone beyond the movement of military supplies to the actual deployment of troops, is a serious threat to security not only for our country, but for the international community”, he said.
Yoon’s office said South Korea, along with its allies, has been closely monitoring North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia since the early stages.
South Korea will respond to the North’s activities with all available means, he added, without detailing the actions it might take.
South Korea, which has emerged as a major global arms exporter, selling fighter jets, mechanized howitzers and missiles, has been pressured by some Western allies, including Washington, to help arm Ukraine with lethal weapons, but has not done so openly. .
Researcher Ramon Pacheco Pardo of King’s College London said that despite the severity of the development, it may not be heavy enough to change Seoul’s position.
“As far as South Korea is concerned, I think your red line is Russia providing support to North Korea, which allows Pyongyang to substantially improve its nuclear and missile program, not North Korea’s support for Russia. “
Ties
Since their leaders’ summit in Russia’s Far East last year, North Korea and Russia have drastically improved their military ties and met again in June to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership that includes a mutual defense pact.
Russia and North Korea deny they have been involved in arms transfers. The Kremlin also rejected South Korean claims that North Korea may have sent some military personnel to help Russia against Ukraine.
North Korea has 1.28 million active troops, according to the most recent data from South Korea, and has stepped up development of a range of ballistic missiles and a nuclear arsenal, fueling regional tension and attracting international sanctions. .
The troop deployment to Russia, if confirmed, would be North Korea’s first major involvement in a war since the 1950-53 Korean War.
