North Korea may send 6,000 more troops to Russia for summer offensive — intel
Illustrative photo: North Korea may send 6,000 more soldiers to Russia to participate in the summer offensive (Getty Images)
According to South Korea’s intelligence agency (NIS), Russia may be preparing for a major summer offensive in Ukraine and could involve about 6,000 North Korean army soldiers in combat operations, reports Sky News.
South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun stated that North Korea has begun recruiting soldiers to be sent to Russia.
NIS reported at a closed briefing for South Korean politicians that North Korea is likely to send 6,000 additional troops to Russia in July or August.
This is likely the reason why dictator Kim Jong Un hosted Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang last week. During that meeting, he reportedly agreed to send one thousand sappers and five thousand military construction workers to assist in the reconstruction of Russia’s Kursk.
How Russia is using North Korea in the war
North Korea has sent about 10,000 military personnel to Russia to support the war against Ukraine. Approximately half of this contingent has been killed or wounded during combat operations in the Kursk region.
After a long period of silence, both North Korea and Russia have confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops, as well as their participation in the Russian offensive aimed at regaining control over part of the Kursk region.
Both countries stated that the cooperation is based on a treaty signed by their leaders in June of last year, which includes a mutual defense pact.
