North Korea has supplied Russia with additional shipments of artillery and rocket launchers to help bolster its war against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said Wednesday.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed shipments of 170mm self-propelled artillery and 240mm long-range rocket launchers, according to Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee. North Korea also dispatched personnel to maintain the weapons, which are not part of Russia's standard arsenal.
The NIS assessed that some of the approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia's southwestern Kursk region have been deployed with Russian airborne and marine units, where they underwent tactical training and engaged in combat, Lee said. Casualties among the North Korean troops have been reported.
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has confirmed North Korean troop deployment, though Pyongyang previously asserted that any such moves would comply with international law.
Military ties between the two countries have visibly strengthened in recent months, with Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a defense agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a rare visit to Pyongyang in June.
Seoul, which has resisted sending lethal aid to Kyiv, has said it may reconsider its policy amid concerns over North Korea's growing military support for Russia.
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