Editorial with AFP
12/23/2024 at 07:39
Several thousand North Korean troops have been sent to Russia in recent weeks to support the Russian army.
More than 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed or injured in fighting against Ukrainian forces, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday. “We estimate that North Korean troops, who recently engaged in combat against Ukrainian forces, suffered approximately 1,100 casualties,” the JCS said in a statement.
Several thousand North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia in recent weeks to support the Russian army, according to Westerners. For its part, the Kremlin has each time evaded questions on the subject, not wanting to confirm this information.
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Historical treatise
North Korea has never confirmed or denied the presence of its troops alongside Russia. On Thursday, however, a spokesperson for its Foreign Ministry described Washington's criticism of its support for Moscow as “irresponsible provocations”. North Korea and Russia have strengthened military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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A historic mutual defense treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow, signed in June, entered into force earlier this month. It provides for “immediate military aid” in the event of armed aggression by a third country.
