North Korean soldiers were most likely killed in Ukraine, where they were sent to help Russia, South Korea's new defense minister, Kim Yong, said today. -hyeon, quoted by France Press.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian media reported that six North Korean servicemen were killed Thursday in a Ukrainian missile attack outside the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
South Korea's defense minister told a parliamentary hearing today that it was “very likely”.
„We believe it is highly likely that there were casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine, given the circumstances”, the minister said.
Seoul expects Pyongyang to send more troops to the Ukrainian front to help its Russian ally.
„The deployment of regular troops is very likely due to bilateral agreements (between Moscow and Pyongyang) that resemble a military alliance between Russia and North Korea,” Kim Yong-hyun said.
For several months, experts have claimed that North Korean missiles are located in Ukraine, although Moscow and Pyongyang deny this. According to Seoul, North Korea has sent thousands of containers of weapons to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine, according to AFP.