Tue Feb 11 16:45:20 UTC 2025: ## North Korea Provided Russia with Hundreds of Artillery Pieces and Thousands of Troops: South Korea
**Seoul, South Korea** – South Korea’s defense ministry revealed on Tuesday that North Korea has supplied Russia with 200 long-range artillery pieces and approximately 11,000 troops, escalating concerns about the deepening military alliance between the two nations. A ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the North has also provided missiles and a significant amount of ammunition. Further support, including additional troops and weaponry, remains a possibility.
This corroborates previous reports from Seoul, Kyiv, and Washington alleging North Korean troop deployments to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. Ukraine has claimed to have captured or killed North Korean soldiers fighting near Kursk, and President Zelensky has released interrogation footage purportedly featuring captured North Korean soldiers. While neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has publicly acknowledged these deployments, a mutual defense agreement was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea last year. North Korean state media recently reaffirmed its support for Russia’s military efforts.
Although South Korea’s spy agency reports that North Korean soldiers on the Kursk front line were seemingly inactive since mid-January, with Ukrainian military sources suggesting heavy losses and subsequent withdrawal, the South Korean defense ministry warns that weapons and ammunition transfers continue. The report submitted to the South Korean parliament also highlights a significant concern: the potential transfer of advanced military technologies from Russia to North Korea in exchange for this support. This could include technology for ICBM re-entry systems and nuclear-powered submarines, dramatically boosting Pyongyang’s military capabilities. The situation is under close monitoring by South Korean intelligence.
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