Report: North Korean troops fighting for Russia are killed in Ukraine

North Korean soldiers sent to Ukraine to support Russia’s invasion have been killed in combat, according to reports. The troops were promised to Vladimir Putin by the country’s president Kim Jong-un during a state visit to Pyongyang.

Now the Ukrainian media has reported the deaths of six North Korean officers in a missile strike on Russian-occupied Donetsk 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. If so, it would be the first confirmation of Kim’s troops being stationed at or near the front line.

South Korea is following the deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine very closely. It is thought the first batch to deploy there were engineering specialists, who were expected to be used to strengthen defences behind Russian lines.

Both Ukraine and Russia have foreign fighters in their ranks. A number of UK volunteers have been killed fighting for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia recruits soldiers from pro-Moscow African states and international mercenaries.

North Korea has also emerged as a major supplier of arms and other military equipment to Russia. In return, Russian scientists are thought to be providing expertise on the production of inter-continental ballistic missiles.

The Pyongyang regime is barred by United Nations sanctions from any tests using ballistic technology. But Moscow used its UN Security Council veto in March to effectively end UN monitoring of violations, for which Pyongyang has specifically thanked Russia.

Moscow and Pyongyang have been allies since North Korea’s founding after World War II and have drawn even closer since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

According to South Korean sources, Russia has also paid North Korea for sending troops. They have quoted an annual fee, agreed by Putin in June, of £92 million.

Russian losses on the battlefield are currently running at a daily average of 1,200 casualties. South Korea and North Korea remain fierce enemies and the Seoul government has threatened to increase its military support for Ukraine in a tit-for-tat response.

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