North Korean officers killed in Ukrainian missile strike
Over 20 soldiers were killed due to a missile attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on a Russian military facility near Donetsk, reports the "Kyiv Post," citing Ukrainian intelligence sources. Among the dead were six officers from North Korea, with three more injured.
According to the "Kyiv Post," the attack occurred on October 3. Just before the strike, representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense demonstrated to the North Korean visitors the preparation of Russian military personnel for offensive and defensive operations.
Among the 20 soldiers killed in the Ukrainian missile attack on the territory occupied by Russia near Donetsk were six officers from North Korea, according to intelligence sources. Three more North Korean soldiers were injured.
Putin's agreement with Kim
On June 19, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a bilateral strategic partnership agreement. According to the agreement, Russia and North Korea commit to mutual assistance in the event of aggression against either country. Putin stated that the document also allows for military-technical cooperation, although UN sanctions currently prohibit such cooperation.
According to South Korean intelligence, in the summer of 2022, North Korea began supplying arms to Russia at Putin's request due to military failures in Ukraine. From North Korea to Russia, nearly 5,000 tons (11 million pounds) of artillery shells and ballistic missiles were sent.
Regime supports regime
In response, Moscow began supplying tanks, aircraft, and technology for North Korea's satellite spy program, said South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik.
According to "The Washington Post," from August 2023 to January 2024, North Korea supplied Russia with about 1.6 million artillery shells. Additionally, a total of 81,650 short tons (74,000 metric tons) of explosives were delivered from two Far Eastern ports to 16 settlements on the border with Ukraine.
In an article for the newspaper Nodong Sinmun (Workers’ Newspaper) published on June 18, Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude for North Korea's support in conducting a "special military operations" in Ukraine, assuring that "Russia has incessantly supported and will support the DPRK and the heroic Korean people in their struggle against the treacherous, dangerous and aggressive enemy."
Pentagon: They will become cannon fodder
On June 20, Putin declared that Russia does not plan to involve North Korean soldiers in the war with Ukraine, emphasizing that there is no such need. However, by June 27, information emerged about North Korea's intent to send engineering troops to territories in Ukraine occupied by Russia. According to the South Korean government, Moscow promised to pay for this assistance.
The Pentagon, commenting on these reports, stated that North Korean troops sent to Ukraine would become "cannon fodder." Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder noted, “If I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine.”
