Regardless of the heavy casualties it has suffered within the struggle between Russia and Ukraine, North Korea seems to have despatched extra troops to Russia as its troopers re-entered frontline fight, South Korea’s spy company mentioned on Thursday.
The Nationwide Intelligence Service, South Korea’s principal spy company, mentioned it was nonetheless making an attempt to evaluate the dimensions of the brand new deployment. However its transient assertion on Thursday adopted a report in a South Korean newspaper, JoongAng, citing nameless sources, that North Korea has despatched as much as 3,000 extra troops since January by ship and army cargo planes.
North Korea sent an estimated 11,000 troops to Russia late final yr, and has provided giant shipments of artillery shells, missiles and different standard weapons. The troops had been despatched to the Kursk area, the place they fought alongside Russian forces to assist them regain territory misplaced to Ukraine.
However the North Korean troopers pulled again from the entrance strains in January after struggling heavy casualties, in accordance with Ukrainian and U.S. officers. They hailed from North Korea’s extremely disciplined particular warfare items, however had been badly ready for drone assaults on the principally open and flat battlefields in japanese Europe. 1000’s have been killed or wounded, in accordance with South Korean officers.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that North Korean troops had been again on the entrance strains, a view echoed by the South Korean spy company on Thursday.
“Following a monthlong lull, North Korean troops had been positioned again within the frontline area of Kursk beginning within the first week of February,” it mentioned.
The Russian struggle towards Ukraine is the primary main abroad armed battle in many years to which North Korea has despatched its troopers, serving to its army achieve beneficial classes in real-life, trendy warfare regardless of the heavy casualties, army analysts mentioned.
South Korean officers have additionally expressed issues that North Korea was receiving meals, oil and superior weapons applied sciences from Russia in return for its troops and artillery.
North Korea’s chief, Kim Jong-un, has sought to improve his nuclear and different weapons applications and discover new diplomatic companions for his pariah authorities since his diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump collapsed in 2019.
Mr. Kim made Russian President Vladimir V. Putin a brand new ally by supplying Moscow with badly wanted ammunition and troops. When Mr. Putin met with Mr. Kim in Pyongyang in June final yr, they revived a Cold War-era mutual defense treaty.
Since Mr. Trump returned to the White Home in January, he has vowed to finish the struggle. He has additionally hinted that he was keen on reviving diplomacy with the North Korean chief. However Mr. Kim has not publicly responded.
