North Korea is sending troops to fight and die in Ukraine alongside Russian soldiers, according to Seoul’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
Kim told South Korean politicians on Tuesday that it was “very likely” that six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on Donetsk last week.
“We assess that casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine are very likely, considering various circumstances,” Kim said, adding that they expect Pyongyang to send more soldiers to Russia in the near future.
“Relations between Russia and North Korea are evolving to be almost as close as a military alliance,” he said. “Therefore, from our point of view, more North Korean troops could be deployed in the war.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during their visit on June 19.
The defense chief corroborated Ukrainian reports that the North Koreans were now directly involved in the war.
Russia and North Korea have deepened relations since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The two nuclear-armed states signed a defense pact in June when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea.
Both Russia and Ukraine have turned to foreign fighters as their numbers of draft-age men dwindle.
South Korea claims Pyongyang has become a major arms supplier to Russia in the war.
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North Korea has recently increased production and testing of artillery and cruise missiles. In March, Russia used its veto power at the United Nations to end oversight of violations of a ban on North Korea testing ballistics technology.
A Ukrainian drone struck a key weapons depot inside Russia about 70 miles from the border, where weapons gifted by North Korea were stored, the Ukrainian military said Wednesday.
Putin and Kim drive an Aurus car in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024.
North Korean soldiers are now fighting against Ukraine alongside Russia. (Reuters/Alex Babenko)
Hugely powerful glider bombs that have terrorized civilian areas of Ukraine and battered the Ukrainian military’s defenses were also kept at the arsenal, located 115 kilometers (70 miles) from the border with Ukraine, and some of the ammunition was stored outdoors, Ukraine said.
Iran has also been sending missiles to Russia in recent months, according to US defense officials. Russian soldiers have been training in Iran with the Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles.
On Friday, Putin will meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
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On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wished his “closest comrade,” Putin, a happy birthday and said the two nations’ military alliance would make them “invincible.”
Kim said Putin would lead “great Russia on the path to victory.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
