South Korea’s spy agency reported on 29 October that North Korean military personnel, including high-ranking generals, may have been deployed to Russian battlefield zones in Ukraine, Yonhap News says.
The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) disclosed this information during a closed-door parliamentary intelligence committee meeting, according to two lawmakers, from the ruling and opposition parties.
“The mobilization of troops between North Korea and Russia is ongoing. We are checking the possibility of the deployment of some (North Korean) personnel, including high-ranking military officials, to the front lines,” the NIS stated.
The intelligence agency reported that Russian forces are currently teaching military terminology to North Korean soldiers, with over 100 Russian military terms being included in the training. The NIS noted reports of communication difficulties due to language barriers between the forces, Yonhap reported.
Additionally, the NIS assessed that a Russian aircraft that traveled between Moscow and Pyongyang on 23-24 October likely carried key Russian security officials involved in North Korea’s troop deployment.
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- WSJ: North Korea sends young, inexperienced, malnourished soldiers to Russia to test ground in Ukraine as “mere cannon fodder”
- South Korean delegation to brief NATO on North Korean troops in Russia
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