North Korean troops to assist Russia in occupied Ukraine

Military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow is tightening. Unofficial media reports indicate that North Korea intends to send its engineering units to the Donetsk region, currently occupied by Russia.

Kim Jong Un's soldiers are expected to help rebuild infrastructure in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, reports TV Chosun.

The South Korean television channel estimates that the North Korean army has 10 engineering brigades. If it sends three to four engineering brigades to the occupied regions of Ukraine, North Korea could receive up to 115 million dollars annually from Russia.

In June, Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years. The Russian leader met with Kim Jong Un and signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership agreement" in Pyongyang.

The KCNA agency published the treaty's contents. The countries pledged to provide mutual support in the event of an attack by another state.

In 2022, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, relations between Moscow and Pyongyang grew closer, mainly due to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow and Russia's attempts to circumvent these restrictions.

The United States and South Korea accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to Russia for use during the war in Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea denied these allegations. Last year, these countries announced deepening military cooperation during Kim's visit to Vladivostok, where he met with Putin in September.

The South Korean Defense Ministry estimated at the end of February this year that since that meeting, North Korea has sent about 6,700 containers with ammunition to Russia.

According to experts, in exchange for military support, North Korea receives Russian technologies necessary for the development of its missile and nuclear programs, which constitutes a violation of UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

Source: TV Chosun/Ukrainian Pravda/PAP