Ukraine claims to have captured two North Korean soldiers on the Russian Kursk front. South Korean intelligence confirms their presence and estimates that more than 10,000 fighters from Pyongyang are fighting alongside Moscow. A historic mutual defense treaty has just entered into force between the two allies.
According to a source close to the matter, Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers engaged alongside Russian forces in the war that has been raging for almost three years in the region. This information, corroborated by South Korean intelligence services, confirms suspicions about the direct involvement of North Korea in the Ukrainian conflict.
Pyongyang reportedly deployed more than 10,000 fighters in Ukraine
kyiv, Washington and Seoul accuse Kim Jong-un’s regime of having sent thousands of soldiers to reinforce Russian troops. According to Ukrainian estimates, nearly 3,000 North Koreans were killed or injured on the battlefield. Figures impossible to verify from an independent source, but which testify to the presumed extent of Pyongyang’s commitment.
Cooperation between Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence
The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced that it was working in close collaboration with its Ukrainian counterpart (SBU) to question the two North Korean prisoners captured on January 9 in the Russian region of Kursk.
“The NIS, through real-time cooperation with the SBU, confirmed that the Ukrainian army captured two North Korean soldiers on the Kursk battlefield, Russia. »
Statement from the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS)
One of the soldiers reportedly revealed during his interrogation that he had received military training from Russian forces upon his arrival in November. He initially thought he would take part in training before realizing he was being deployed directly to the front.
Significant losses among North Korean fighters
North Korean forces suffered heavy losses during the fighting according to prisoner statements. South Korean intelligence specifies that one of the two captured men had been deprived of food and water for 4 to 5 days before being taken prisoner. These revelations confirm the harsh conditions on the ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had already reported at the end of December the capture of two other seriously wounded North Korean soldiers in the same region, who ultimately succumbed to their wounds. According to him, the Russians and their allies would do everything to “erase evidence of the participation of another state in the war against Ukraine”.
A historic mutual defense treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow
While Russia and North Korea have never officially confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine, the two countries have recently strengthened their military ties. A historic mutual defense treaty, signed last June, has just entered into force. It provides for “immediate military aid” in the event of armed aggression by a third country.
The proven involvement of a foreign army marks a major escalation in this conflict which is entering a critical phase, a few months before the announced return of Donald Trump to the White House. Pyongyang is considered a leading arms supplier to Moscow. According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea is preparing to send new units to Russia to reinforce or relieve those already present on the ground.
These revelations about North Korean engagement alongside Russia raise many questions about the evolution of this conflict which is getting bogged down and becoming more international every day. They also illustrate the solidity of the Pyongyang-Moscow axis in the face of international pressure. A military alliance that could weigh heavily in the months to come.
Related News :