Seoul has said Pyongyang has started sending troops to Ukraine for combat experience. North Korea has been accused of supplying weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
South Korea’s Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun it is “highly likely” that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it had shot down another wave of overnight missile and drone attacks from Russia.
Here are the latest developments regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine on Tuesday, October 8:
Ukraine shoots down 18 Russian drones
In a post on Telegram, the air force said it had shot down 18 drones, while the last one “returned to Russia.”
Meanwhile, Oleh Kiper, the governor of Odesa, said a drone attack in the city of Chornomorsk caused fires in an apartment building, but no casualties were reported.
Kiper also reported a fire at a production facility in Odesa. One Russian drone landed without detonating, he added.
Additionally, a Russian missile hit a Palau-flagged ship in Odesa port, killing one Ukrainian and injuring five others, officials said.
North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine, some killed, says Seoul
South Korea said on Tuesday that it is “highly likely” that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine and that some of them have been killed.
South Korea’s Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun, told a parliament hearing that there were reports of North Korean military officers being killed in Ukraine.
“We assess that the occurrence of casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine is highly likely, considering various circumstances,” he said.
Kim said more North Korean troops are expected to be deployed under a mutual defense pact between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was signed in June, highlighting deepening military ties.
Ukrainian media reported that six North Korean military officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk on October 3.
Seoul has accused Pyongyang of sending weapons to Russia, a charge that both North Korea and Moscow have denied.
Meanwhile, experts say North Korea is moving from supplying weapons to sending troops for combat experience.
ss/ab (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)
