Advertisement
Explainer | The North Koreans fighting, and dying, in Russia’s war
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has publicly confirmed the presence of North Korean troops. Washington and its allies say otherwise
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
5
Months after Kyiv and Seoul began sounding the alarm over North Korea’s growing role in the Ukraine war, Kyiv now says Pyongyang’s troops are being killed and captured in battles with Ukrainian forces.
Advertisement
The role of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine and the deepening alliance between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has become a matter of growing international concern.
Estimates vary but Seoul, Kyiv and Washington have all said that North Korea dispatched more than 10,000 troops to Russia last year to aid the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine.
02:19
Ukraine reports clashes involving North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region
Ukraine reports clashes involving North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region
Videos released by the Ukrainian army claim to show North Koreans in combat in the western Russian region of Kursk, which has been partially controlled by Ukrainian forces since August last year.
Ukraine sees holding territory there as vital for any future peace talks and there has been no evidence yet that Pyongyang’s troops have been sent to battle inside Ukraine.
South Korea says that 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 2,700 more have been wounded in battle since the deployments last year.
Advertisement
Images released by Kyiv show that the North Koreans have been issued with Russian military uniforms and identification documents, suggesting that Moscow is seeking to conceal the extent of the deployments.
Advertisement