North Korea may send additional troops to Russia to fight in Moscow's war against Ukraine in July or August, and is also continuing to supply Russia with weapons, South Korean lawmakers said Thursday, citing the intelligence agency.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes that Russia may be preparing for a large-scale attack against Ukraine in July or August, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after a closed-door session.
"The timing of the additional deployment could be as early as July or August," Lee said, adding that the agency cited a new round of recruitment of troops for deployment from North Korea and a recent visit to Pyongyang by a senior Russian presidential security official as the basis for its assessment.
In exchange for sending artillery and missile ammunition from North Korea to Russia, Pyongyang is likely to receive technical advice on satellite launches and missile guidance systems, Lee said, citing the NIS.
After months of silence, both North Korea and Russia have made public the relocation of North Korean troops and the role they have played in Moscow's offensive against Ukraine to retake the Kursk region.
Both countries have said the cooperation is based on a treaty signed by their leaders in June last year, which includes a mutual defense pact./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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