Seoul: At least 300 North Korean soldiers were killed in combat with Ukraine, South Korea claimed on Monday. Some 2,700 others were injured, the South Korean National Intelligence Service told lawmakers.
According to Anadolu Agency, the revelation by the South Korean spy agency came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he was ready to exchange two captured North Korean soldiers with Pyongyang for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia. Zelenskyy claimed that at least two North Korean soldiers were currently in Ukrainian custody.
Pyongyang and Moscow have remained silent regarding these developments since Seoul and its Western allies initially alleged that North Korea had sent soldiers to Russia to fight against Ukraine. The South Korean spy agency attributed the "massive casualties" among the North Korean soldiers to their "lack of understanding of modern warfare," citing ineffective actions such as "shooting at long-range drones."
Quoting the spy agency, Lee Seong-kweun, a ruling People Power Party lawmaker, mentioned that one of the prisoners of war in Ukraine has not expressed any intention to come to South Korea. Lee was referring to the two North Korean soldiers allegedly captured by Kyiv, who are currently being questioned by the Ukrainian spy agency with assistance from their South Korean counterpart.
While the US and NATO have supported Seoul's claims regarding North Korean soldiers' presence in the conflict against Ukraine, Pyongyang remains silent, despite reports of alleged casualties among its troops. The reports of troop deployment have taken on new significance since Pyongyang and Moscow signed a comprehensive defense pact last year. This pact requires both parties to offer military assistance to each other in case of aggression by a third party.
The Russia-Ukraine war is approaching its third anniversary next month, following Moscow's launch of its 'special military operation' against Kyiv in February 2022. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of millions across the two warring nations.