This deepening alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow is drawing international alarm, reports Bloomberg.
Ukraine’s ambassador to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko, recently stated that Kyiv anticipates up to 15,000 North Korean troops being deployed to russia’s Kursk region and potentially to occupied areas of eastern Ukraine. These troops are expected to rotate every few months.
Read more: North Korean Troops Enter russian Marine Ranks
North Korea has already sent more than 10,000 troops to russia’s Kursk region, alongside millions of rounds of artillery ammunition and other weaponry. Reports suggest that Pyongyang has also supplied Moscow with long-range rocket and artillery systems. In exchange, russia is providing financial support and aiding North Korea in advancing its military capabilities.
South Korea has warned that Pyongyang is likely seeking cutting-edge military technologies from russia, including those related to tactical nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites, and ballistic missile submarines.
According to the article, such developments could significantly shift the security balance in the Indo-Pacific region, where tensions between China and the US continue to grow.
Kyiv’s allies have expressed concern that North Korea’s involvement could further escalate Europe’s largest war since World War II. Meanwhile, Ukraine has renewed its appeals to Western partners for long-range weapons to target military infrastructure deep within russia, aiming to counter Moscow’s persistent strikes, including those on critical energy facilities.
Read more: What Escalating Threat Ukraine Faces as North Korean Troops Bolster russian Forces
