Greater than 1,000 North Korean troopers have been killed or wounded since they had been despatched to combat alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, in response to South Korean navy officers.
In a press release launched on Monday, the South’s joint chiefs of employees (JCS) mentioned: “We assess that North Korean troops, who’ve lately engaged in fight with Ukrainian forces, have suffered round 1,100 casualties.”
The JCS didn’t say what number of troops had been killed in motion, however the claims underline the dangers posed to the North’s untested armed forces, amid reviews that the regime is poised to ship additional reinforcements to Ukraine.
Final week, South Korea’s spy company claimed that a minimum of 100 North Korean troops had died within the battle since being despatched into fight this month.
The excessive variety of casualties could possibly be attributed to the “unfamiliar battlefield surroundings, the place North Korean forces are getting used as expendable frontline assault items, and their lack of functionality to counter drone assaults”, Lee Seong-kweun, a South Korean MP, informed reporters after assembly intelligence officers.
Lee mentioned “a number of North Korean casualties” had been attributed to Ukrainian missile and drone assaults, in addition to coaching accidents, with the highest-ranking sufferer “a minimum of on the stage of a normal”.
The JCS mentioned it was “notably concerned about the potential for extra deployments” to help Russia’s conflict effort, including that Pyongyang was “getting ready for the rotation or extra deployment of troopers”.
The assertion mentioned North Korea was additionally “producing and offering self-destructing drones” – thought to seek advice from assault drones – to be used by Russia, together with rocket launchers and self-propelled artillery.
The deployment of North Korean troopers marked a dramatic escalation within the conflict in Ukraine, because the Kremlin turned to its ally to spice up its forces within the Kursk border area, the place Ukrainian forces seized territory this yr. It was additionally an indication of makes an attempt by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to broaden the battle by means of the direct involvement in preventing of a 3rd nation.
The once-unimaginable prospect of North Korean troopers – members of the nation’s 1.3 million-strong military – preventing in a European conflict turned a actuality months after Putin and Kim Jong-un signed a mutual defence pact at a summit in Pyongyang in June.
Whereas particulars of the settlement haven’t been launched, analysts imagine the North Korean chief desires entry to Russian rocket know-how and different navy know-how in change for offering its forces with ammunition, weapons and reinforcements.
As much as 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to assist Russia within the conflict, in response to US and South Korean officers. Pyongyang has additionally despatched greater than 10,000 containers of artillery rounds, anti-tank rockets, in addition to mechanised howitzers and rocket launchers.
South Korea’s JCS mentioned the North was additionally utilizing the Ukraine theatre to modernise its warfare capabilities, including: “This might result in a rise within the North’s navy risk towards us.”
In response, South Korea and Ukraine mentioned final month they’d deepen safety cooperation, with the South’s now-impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, refusing to rule out offering Kyiv with weapons.
South Korea is a significant arms exporter however has a longstanding coverage of not sending weapons to nations which are engaged in battle.
North Korea has not referred to its troop deployments or weapons shipments in official statements, however final week accused the US and its allies of “reckless provocation” for criticising its materials help for Russia.
A overseas ministry spokesperson mentioned the overseas ministers of 10 nations and the EU had been “distorting and slandering” Pyongyang’s “regular cooperative” ties with Moscow, in response to state media.
In a press release launched by Washington, Ukraine’s allies urged North Korea “to stop instantly all help for Russia’s conflict of aggression towards Ukraine, together with by withdrawing its troops”.
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