Fabian Kretschmer and Ciarán Sunderland
dpa
(TNS)
Seoul/Brussels — South Korea said on Friday that North Korea has decided to send 12,000 troops to support Russian forces fighting in Ukraine and that 1,500 of these have already been deployed.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said the troops were transported in Russian ships to Vladivostok, where they are presumably being prepared for deployment in the war in Ukraine.
More troops, including special forces, are to follow, it said.
According to the NIS, the soldiers are given Russian uniforms and false identities to conceal their origin on arrival.
South Korea’s intelligence service bases its information on satellite images and facial recognition software, which it says it has used in collaboration with Ukrainian intelligence services.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke about the cooperation at an emergency meeting with intelligence, military and security officials on Friday.
“The current situation, in which the rapprochement between Russia and North Korea has led to the delivery of military equipment and the actual deployment of troops, poses a serious security threat not only to our country but also to the international community,” the presidential office said in a statement.
NATO investigating claim of 12,000 troops
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday that the alliance is investigating the claim that North Korea is sending 12,000 troops to Russia.
NATO is in close contact with all partners in the region, especially South Korea, to “get all the evidence on the table,” Rutte said.
“At this moment, our official position is that we cannot confirm reports that North Koreans are actively now, as soldiers, engaged in the war effort. But this, of course, might change,” he added.
Ukraine reports North Korean soldiers among Russian ranks
The Ukrainian government has previously reported North Korean soldiers in the ranks of Russian occupation troops.
In a recent interview, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, also said that 11,000 North Korean troops were being trained in eastern Russia to fight against Ukraine from November 1.
Meanwhile, the US military think tank Institute for the Study of War reported that several thousand North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia and were being prepared for their deployment in Ukraine.
Pyongyang is already providing massive support to Russia in the form of weapons and ammunition. According to a report by South Korean intelligence, the internationally isolated country is mainly supplying artillery shells and short-range missiles to Moscow.
North Korea has intensified its military cooperation with Russia in recent months. In June, the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement, which also includes mutual assistance in the event of an attack by another country.
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