DPRK soldiers are being trained in Russian Federation and could be sent to the frontline in Ukraine by the end of the year - The Washington Post

Kim Jong-un sent several thousand soldiers to Russia, who are now studying the situation on the battlefield. In this way, the North Korean leader is showing Putin his support in the war of conquest. This is reported by The Washington Post.

Part of the DPRK military is being trained in Russia for possible joint deployment with Russian troops, which is planned for the end of the year, - writes the edition.

At the same time, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence reported that North Korean soldiers are already starting to take part in battles and some of them have already been killed in clashes with the Ukrainian army. It was said that more than 20 soldiers, including six DPRK officers, were allegedly killed in a missile attack on a Russian military facility near Donetsk, while three other North Korean soldiers were wounded.

The deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine could create opportunities for the Kremlin to release its own reserves, depending on the quality, structure and interoperability, analysts point out.

Last week, Telegram channels and Ukrainian media reported that North Korean soldiers were supporting Russians in the occupied territories of Donbass.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defence pact last summer. The document includes an agreement on military assistance in case of "aggression" against one of the parties, and also allows military-technical cooperation, despite the UN sanctions in force against Pyongyang.

We would like to add that according to Western intelligence reports, North Korea supplies Russia with about 3 million shells a year, which is about half of all ammunition used by the Russian army in the war in Ukraine.