SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Russia has supplied air defense missiles to North Korea in exchange for sending its troops to support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine, a top South Korean official said Friday.
The U.S., South Korea and Ukraine say North Korea sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia in October, some of whom have recently started fighting. It is not clear what Russia would give North Korea in return.
Shin Wonsik, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s national security adviser, told SBS television on Friday that South Korea had discovered that Russia had provided missiles and other equipment to strengthen its air defense network for the capital, Pyongyang.
Many observers say North Korea likely feels an urgent need to bolster its capital’s air defense capabilities after North Korea accused South Korea of dropping propaganda leaflets about Pyongyang last month. North Korea has threatened to take military action if the letters are dropped again. The South Korean military has refused to confirm whether or not it was behind the alleged drone flights.
Shin says Russia has also provided economic aid to North Korea and various military technologies, including those needed to help the North build a reliable space surveillance system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin already said last year during the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that Moscow is willing to help the North build satellites. North Korea launched its first spy satellite into orbit in November last year, but foreign experts question whether the satellite can produce militarily meaningful images. The North’s attempt to launch a second spy satellite in May failed.
Seoul and Washington have expressed concern about possible Russian transfers of sensitive nuclear and missile technology to North Korea. Shin did not say whether Russia has already transferred such technology. Many experts said it was unlikely that Russia would do so in the initial phase of deploying Nordic troops.
South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Wednesday that North Korea has also recently sent additional artillery systems to Russia. Last month, the National Intelligence Service said North Korea had sent more than 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia since August 2023 to replenish its dwindling weapons stockpile.
Earlier this week, North Korea and Russia reached a new agreement to expand economic cooperation following high-level talks in Pyongyang this week, the countries’ state media reported.
Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press