According to reports, North Korea has sent troops to Russia to combat Ukraine in the continuing battle. According to South Korean media, about 1,500 soldiers have already reached Russia, with an additional 12,000 expected to follow.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, had previously asserted that intelligence indicated approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers may enter the conflict on Russia’s side.
During a review conference with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged the international community to take action using “all available means” and warned that this move poses a “severe security threat.”
The NIS told the news agency Reuters that they have been collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence services and have identified North Korean officers who assist Russian forces in firing North Korean missiles in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine using facial recognition AI.
On social media, a video allegedly depicting North Korean soldiers arriving at a Russian military facility for training also went viral.
Following the identification of artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and anti-tank rockets transported in more than 13,000 containers to Russia since August 2023, utilising weapon remnants from Ukraine, the agency verified direct military assistance from North Korea to Russia.
According to South Korea, Russia has received up to eight million rounds of artillery and rockets.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Putin his “closest comrade” on his birthday last week, demonstrating the close ties that have grown between Russia and North Korea.
The South Korean agency’s revelation has also made its way to Washington, where a House of Representatives intelligence committee has requested that President Joe Biden meet with them for a confidential briefing immediately to discuss the matter.
If confirmed, these (North Korean) troop moves are concerning and represent a dramatic intensification of the situation in Ukraine. To prevent the conflict from worsening, the United States and its NATO allies must act quickly,” he stated.
