North Korea has sent reinforcements to back up Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine as well as more arms despite attempts by the US to strike a ceasefire deal – leading to escalation fears
North Korean despot Kim Jong-Un has sent thousands more troops to help Russia ’s war in Ukraine, along with fresh artillery, missiles and ammunition, leading to fears of an escalation in fighting.
At least 3,000 new troops have arrived in Russia for training and battle kit for the frontline, despite Kyiv and Moscow almost settling on a maritime peace deal. News of Pyongyang reinforcing the Kremlin’s war effort comes from South Korean intelligence which warns Kim could send even more military might to help Russia. It follows reports that North Korea’s mercenary army helping Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s troops have suffered catastrophic losses of many thousands on the frontline.
Approximately 11,000 North Korean Troops were sent months ago, although they have been poorly-equipped and badly-trained by Putin’s military. Russia and Ukraine recently agreed on a limited ceasefire, though both sides have accused each other of violations.
The military equipment North Korea has sent to Russia includes a “considerable amount” of short-range ballistic missiles, 170 millimetre self-propelled howitzers and around 220 units of 240 millimetre multiple rocket launchers, according to Seoul. It is North Korea’s first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War, and the Joint Chiefs assessed that around 4,000 of them have been killed or injured.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service previously attributed the high North Korean casualties to the troops’ struggles in adapting to drones and other elements of modern warfare. North Korean troops are further disadvantaged by the crude tactics of their Russian commanders, who have sent them into assault campaigns without providing rear-fire support, the spy agency told lawmakers in January.
But Ukrainian military and intelligence officials have assessed that the North Koreans are gaining crucial battlefield experience and have been key to Russia’s strategy of overwhelming Ukraine by throwing large numbers of soldiers into the battle for Kursk. Russia has said some Western sanctions must be lifted before it begins a maritime ceasefire with Ukraine.
Within hours of the US announcing the two sides had agreed to halt strikes in the Black Sea in separate deals, the Kremlin said it would only take place once sanctions on a number of Russian banks were lifted. The demands include revoking sanctions on the state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank and restoring the firms’ access to the Swift international payment system.
Overnight, Moscow launched a drone attack on the port city of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian officials said, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying the strikes were “a clear signal” Russia did not want peace. The South Korean military report came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his unwavering support for Russia’s war in Ukraine during a meeting with a top Russian security official, Sergei Shoigu, last week in Pyongyang.
State media reports said Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu reaffirmed their commitment to uphold a major mutual defence treaty agreed upon last year. Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko told Russian media on Thursday that the governments were discussing a potential visit by Mr Kim to Moscow but did not specify when it might take place.
He told RIA Novosti news outlet:”We always talk to everyone about exchanging visits. We are always preparing.” Technically North and South Korea have nver ended their war, although hostilities ended in 1953. Kim has repeatedly warned he would attack the US and the South, where more than 25,000 US troops are permanently based.