The United States is concerned about reports of the possible participation of the North Korean military in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett claimed this in a statement, Reuters reported.
According to Savett, if the information about the participation of DPRK troops in Ukraine is confirmed, it will mean a “significant strengthening” of defense relations between North Korea and Russia.
“Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia, which continues to suffer significant battlefield losses in its brutal war against Ukraine,” the White House official added.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the DPRK of transferring personnel to Russia, citing intelligence about North Korea’s “actual participation in the war” in Ukraine.
“The key points at the meeting of the Staff were the reports of the intelligence services—the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Military Intelligence—on the intentions of the Russians for the fall and winter. Everything is quite detailed. Indeed, North Korea is actively participating in the war. Also, Russia’s relations with some other countries, which, unfortunately, are investing in prolonging the war,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President of Ukraine said that the meeting (of political and military leadership) was about relations with partners and possible steps that could help Ukraine defend itself.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said on October 8 that North Korea is likely to send some of its regular armed forces to Ukraine in support of Russian invading troops.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that North Korea is supplying Russia not only with weapons but also with personnel for its military forces and called on partners to increase support for Ukraine.
North Korea is known to be supplying Russia with ballistic missiles and ammunition, although both countries have tried to claim that this is not true.
Russia has received new supplies of short-range Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles from North Korea and used them to strike Kyiv this summer. The New York Times reported this, citing British researchers.
The journalists said that on September 3, British researchers in Kyiv examined the wreckage of four Hwasong-11 missiles after another Russian attack; in particular, they deciphered the production markings on several parts of each missile.
The researchers discovered that the Hwasong-11 used in the attack on Kyiv on August 18 bore markings indicating its manufacture this year.
Recently, The Times reported that half of the approximately three million artillery shells per year used by Russia come from North Korea.
According to the Times’ source, who cited intelligence, Russia became dependent on supplies from the DPRK after the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang earlier this year.
