SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean soldiers have taken part in combat operations against Ukraine alongside their Russian allies, South Korea’s spy agency said on Wednesday.
Seoul’s confirmation comes amid growing global criticism as the two countries strengthen military ties, after Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to help in its war with Ukraine.
“The National Intelligence Service estimates that North Korean troops sent to Russia have moved into the Kursk region over the past two weeks,” the agency said in a statement.
They had completed their battlefield deployment and were already participating in combat operations, he added.
On Tuesday, North Korean state media said Pyongyang had ratified a mutual defense treaty with Russia signed in June by the leaders of the two countries, which stipulated that each would help the other in the event of an armed attack.