North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine war dies: South Korea’s spy agency

Intelligence study comes days aft Ukraine’s president said astir 3,000 North Korean soldiers person been ‘killed oregon wounded’ successful combat.

A North Korean soldier, who was warring for Russia, has died successful Ukrainian captivity owed to terrible wounds, according to South Korea’s spy agency.

The announcement by the National Intelligence Service successful Seoul came connected Friday, hours aft the Yonhap quality bureau cited the bureau arsenic confirming for the archetypal clip that Ukrainian forces had captured a North Korean soldier. The study said helium was alive, though the determination wherever helium was seized was not known.

Pyongyang has deployed thousands of troops to reenforce Russia’s military, successful peculiar to the Kursk borderline portion where Ukraine mounted a daze borderline incursion successful August.

Confirmation of the soldier’s decease came days aft Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that astir 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been “killed oregon wounded” truthful acold arsenic they joined Russian troops successful combat.

It marked the archetypal important estimation by Ukraine of North Korean casualties respective weeks aft Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to assistance it successful the astir three-year war.

Ukraine’s subject intelligence, known nether its acronym GUR, said dense casualties had been inflicted connected North Korean units by Ukrainian strikes adjacent Novoivanovka successful Kursk, proviso issues and adjacent shortages of drinking water.

Strengthened ties

North Korea and Russia person strengthened their subject ties since Moscow invaded Ukraine successful February 2022.

A landmark defence pact betwixt Pyongyang and Moscow signed successful June came into unit this month, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hailing it arsenic a “breakthrough document”.

Ukraine’s allies person called Pyongyang’s increasing engagement successful Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine a “dangerous expansion” of the conflict.

South Korean person Lee Seong-kweun said past week that Pyongyang’s soldiers were being “utilised arsenic expendable front-line battle units”.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies