Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un attend a state reception in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. — Reuters

The United States has for the first time acknowledged evidence of North Korean troops in Russia, with South Korean lawmakers revealing that approximately 3,000 soldiers have been dispatched to support Russia's war in Ukraine, with more expected to follow. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking in Rome, described the situation as "very, very serious" if North Korea were indeed preparing to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, as alleged by Kyiv. "There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia," Austin stated, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In Seoul, South Korean lawmakers disclosed that North Korea has already sent 3,000 troops to Russia, with thousands more anticipated to be deployed. Pyongyang had pledged to provide around 10,000 troops in total, with the deployment expected to be completed by December. This figure is double the previous estimate of troops already in Russia. "Signs of troops being trained inside North Korea were detected in September and October," said Park Sun-won, a member of a parliamentary intelligence committee, following a briefing. "It appears that the troops have now been dispersed to multiple training facilities in Russia and are adapting to the local environment."

The Ukraine conflict, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, has evolved into a war of attrition primarily fought along front lines in eastern Ukraine, resulting in significant casualties on both sides. Austin suggested that the alleged North Korean deployment could indicate that the Russian military is facing manpower issues. The Kremlin has previously dismissed Seoul's claims about the North's troop deployment as "fake news," and a North Korean representative to the United Nations in New York labeled it "groundless rumours" at a meeting on Monday. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied weapons transfers but have pledged to enhance military ties and signed a mutual defense treaty at a summit in June.

The latest revelations follow Seoul's National Intelligence Service report on Friday, which stated that the North had sent around 1,500 special forces personnel to Russia by ship, likely to be deployed for combat in Ukraine after training and acclimatization. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also accused Pyongyang of preparing to send 10,000 soldiers to Russia. On Tuesday, he urged his allies to respond to evidence of North Korean involvement in Russia's war. Lee Seong-kweun, a lawmaker on the South Korean committee, revealed that Pyongyang authorities had attempted to suppress news of the deployment.

"There are also signs of North Korean authorities relocating and isolating the families (of the troops) in a certain place in order to effectively control them and thoroughly crack down on the rumours," Lee said, citing the spy agency. Lee also confirmed that Russia had recruited a "large number" of interpreters for the North Korean soldiers, while training them in the use of military equipment such as drones. "Russian instructors are assessing that the North Korean military has excellent physical attributes and morale but lacks understanding of modern warfare such as drone attacks," he said. "Therefore, there could be many casualties if they are deployed to the front lines."

US officials estimate that Russia has suffered over 600,000 casualties in the war in Ukraine. Austin suggested that the alleged North Korean deployment could indicate a shortage of Russian recruits. "This is an indication that he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) may be even in more trouble than most people realise," Austin said. On Tuesday, South Korea's presidential office called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia, warning that it may consider supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine if military ties between them escalate.

In Berlin, Germany summoned North Korea's charge d'affaires on Wednesday over concerns about the troop deployment. "Should reports be true on North Korean soldiers in Ukraine and should North Korea now be supporting the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine with troops, this would be serious and in violation of international law," the German foreign ministry stated. South Korea's National Intelligence Service revealed last week that it had been collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence and had used facial recognition technology to identify North Korean officers in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region supporting Russian forces firing North Korean missiles.

Source link:   https://www.khaleejtimes.com