South Korean intelligence: North Korea will send 12 thousand people to the war in Ukraine

The DPRK is going to send 12 thousand people to Russia to participate in the war with Ukraine. This data was obtained by the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, as reported by Yonhap and Reuters .

“It has been determined that North Korea recently decided to send a total of 12,000 troops from four brigades, including special forces, to the war in Ukraine,” South Korean intelligence said.

This is the first large-scale deployment of North Korean ground forces, Yonhap noted. In this regard, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol held an unscheduled meeting on security issues with the heads of the country's security agencies, the intelligence report noted.

“Participants […] agreed that the current situation, when closer ties between Russia and North Korea have gone beyond the supply of military cargo and moved into sending troops, poses a serious security threat not only to our country, but also to the international community,” - said in an intelligence press release.

As South Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Son Ho noted in a conversation with Yonhap, the DPRK may send civilian personnel, rather than military personnel, to Russia. The official added that more accurate information will be available after collecting and analyzing information.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on October 17 at a press conference in Brussels that North Korea intends to provide Russia with 10 thousand troops. According to the head of state, North Korea is preparing a contingent now.

There were also reports of the presence of North Korean troops on the Ukrainian front. In particular, on October 4, the Kyiv Post, citing Ukrainian intelligence, reported the death of six DPRK officers in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. Three more North Korean soldiers were injured.