N. Korean soldier captured in Russia-Ukraine war: Seoul


Illustrative photo of the war in Ukraine. - AP

SEOUL: South Korea's spy agency said Friday (Dec 27) it had confirmed that a North Korean soldier sent to back Russia's war against Ukraine had been captured by Ukrainian forces.

Pyongyang has deployed thousands of troops to reinforce Russian troops, including in the Kursk border region where Ukraine mounted a shock border incursion in August.

"Through real-time information sharing with an allied country's intelligence agency, it has been confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured," South Korea's National Intelligence Service said in a statement.

The soldier was captured by the Ukrainian army, an intelligence source told AFP, adding that the location where he was seized was unknown.

The first confirmation of the capture of a North Korean soldier came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been "killed or wounded" so far.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also said Monday that more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.

The JCS had also said that Pyongyang is reportedly "preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers" and supplying "240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery" to the Russian army.

Seoul's military believes that North Korea was seeking to modernise its conventional warfare capabilities through combat experience gained in the Russia-Ukraine war.

North Korean state media said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a New Year's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying "the bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang".

A landmark defence pact went into effect in December after the two sides exchanged ratification documents.

Putin hailed the deal in June as a "breakthrough document". - AFP

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

North Korea , Russia , war , Ukraine , soldier , capture

   

Next In Aseanplus News

Malaysia extends condolences to Azerbaijan over air crash tragedy
Strong winds, rough seas warning for Malaysian waters from Dec 29 to 31
Eight people killed and many others injured as bus falls off bridge in India's Punjab
India lose five after Smith's heroics put Australia in charge of fourth Test
Tourists return to post-Olympic Paris for holiday magic
Olympic champions and table tennis superstars Fan, Chen quit table tennis circuit
Soccer-Amorim knows he can never be 'comfortable' as Man Utd boss
Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Friday (Dec 27, 2024)
18 cops to face ethics probe for allegedly extorting Malaysians at DWP festival in Jakarta
China auntie goes viral with comedic imitations, iconic scenes from Korean dramas

Others Also Read