North Korea is preparing a new troop deployment to Russia - Seoul
Kyiv • UNN
Seoul said that Pyongyang continues preparations to send troops to Russia, but there are no signs of an imminent deployment. North Korea is also supplying missiles.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said that North Korea continues preparations for an additional deployment of troops to Russia, but found no signs that such a deployment is imminent, the office of a South Korean lawmaker said, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
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The assessment came after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denied last week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Pyongyang plans to send up to 50,000 additional troops to Russia to fight on behalf of its ally, the publication writes.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement to lawmaker Yoo Yong-won that North Korea continues to supply Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles, Yoo’s office said.
North Korea is estimated to have supplied Russia with more than 15 million artillery rounds equivalent to 152-millimeter shells, the statement said.
The lawmaker’s office, citing an assessment by South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Agency, said that the accuracy of North Korean missiles used in the war may have improved thanks to battlefield data, as well as Russian technical consultations and support with components.
The ministry also said that development of some North Korean ballistic missiles and multiple rocket launch systems, which are believed to be intended for use in a conflict with South Korea, is nearing completion, the lawmaker’s office said.
The ministry added that, according to Yoo’s office, the North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile "Hwasong-12", capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, is being prepared for operational deployment.
North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles are capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, the ministry said, but key technologies, including warhead reentry into the atmosphere, have not been verified because all test launches were conducted on lofted trajectories.
North Korea and Russia deepened military cooperation after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Pyongyang supplying artillery ammunition and missiles since 2023 and deploying troops since 2024, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western assessments.
Moscow and Pyongyang have previously denied arms transfers.