International alliance NATO issues alarm over potential intensification in Ukraine's situation.
The intelligence sector of South Korea suspects that North Korea is planning to dispatch around 12,000 troops, which equates to four brigades, to aid in conflicts against Ukraine. If these North Korean troops indeed join the battlefield, NATO anticipates an unfavorable outcome, as per Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has issued a cautionary note to North Korea.
Rutte expressed his concerns after talking to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korea's NATO partner recently confirmed the deployment of 1,500 North Korean soldiers in Russia. As per the South Korean intelligence agency, these soldiers are currently undergoing training in eastern Russia and are expected to be deployed to the Ukraine frontline. Previously, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, based on intelligence agency intel, that North Korea intends to send "four brigades with 12,000 soldiers, including special forces" to the front.
In a similar vein, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, "Intelligence reports reveal that we're dealing with 10,000 North Korean soldiers being trained to combat us." This announcement was made during a meeting with EU heads of state and government in Brussels on Thursday.
Russia had earlier dismissed reports suggesting that North Korean soldiers were assisting Russian troops in Ukraine. In recent years, North Korea and Russia have observed a strengthening of their military ties. Experts have speculated that Russia is utilizing North Korean rockets in Ukraine, but both Moscow and Pyongyang deny this allegation.
However, Russia has been accused of hiding truths in its Ukraine conflict. For instance, it initially claimed that the soldiers without identification badges in Crimea in 2014 were not Russian soldiers, a claim it later admitted as false.
Mark Rutte strongly urged North Korea to reconsider its alleged plans, given his concerns expressed during a conversation with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The deployment of North Korean troops, as per Rutte, could significantly impact the outcome of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
