‘North Korean troops in Russia’ as Kim ignores warnings of looming WW3

A video allegedly showing North Korean soldiers in Russia has surfaced as Kim Jong Un ignores warnings of a looming ‘world war three’ and sends 12,000 troops to support Russia’s devastating invasion of Ukraine. 

Speculation swirled today that the new footage shows North Korean troops in eastern Russia undergoing training ahead of deployment with Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine.

It comes as South Korean intelligence discovered that Kim Jong Un’s forces had already left the country, and believed that an initial contingent of 1,500 special forces soldiers had been sent to Vladivostok. South Korea’s presidential office also said President Yoon Suk Yeol had presided over an emergency meeting earlier Friday to discuss North Korea ‘s troop dispatch to Ukraine.

The statement said participants of the meeting agreed that the presence of North Korean troops in Russia poses a grave security threat to South Korea and the international community. But the presidential office gave no further details like when and how many North Korean soldiers have been sent to Ukraine and what roles they are expected to play.

It comes after Ukrainian media reported earlier this month that six North Koreans were among those killed after a Ukrainian missile strike in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region earlier this month. The incident was also cited by South Korea’s defence minister Kim Yong-hyun who said it was ‘highly likely’ to be true.

It is thought to be the first batch to deploy there were engineering specialists who were expected to be used to strengthen defences behind Russian lines as Ukraine has recently been able to make significant gains in Russian territory. Both Ukraine and Russia have foreign fighters in their ranks. A number of UK volunteers have been killed fighting for Ukraine.

‘From our intelligence we’ve got information that North Korea sent tactical personnel and officers to Ukraine,’ Zelenskyy told reporters at NATO headquarters. ‘They are preparing on their land 10,000 soldiers, but they didn’t move them already to Ukraine or to Russia.’ The Kremlin is said to have paid North Korea to send personnel to the front in a deal struck on president Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Kim Jong Un.

North Korea, like Iran, is also reported to be supplying weaponry and ammunition. The suggestions emerged as Zelensky unveiled his blueprint for liberating Ukraine, calling Russia and its allies a ‘coalition of criminals’.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the western alliance ‘have no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight. But we do know that North Korea is supporting Russia in many ways, weapons supplies, technological supplies, innovation, to support them in the war effort. And that is highly worrying.’

The US, South Korea and their partners have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells, missiles and other equipment to help fuel its war on Ukraine Outside officials and experts say North Korea in exchange possibly received badly needed food and economic aid and technology assistance aimed at upgrading Kim’s nuclear-armed military. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have repeatedly denied the existence of an arms deal between the countries.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.