North Korea may deploy up to 100,000 soldiers to support Russia‘s war in Ukraine, fuelling concerns over a potentially dramatic escalation in the conflict, according to reports from assessments by some G20 nations.
The deepening alliance between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has prompted speculation about such a military deployment.
Analysts suggest that if it were to occur, the troops would likely be sent in smaller, rotating groups rather than as a single wave.
Kyiv’s allies have expressed alarm at the prospect, warning it could further destabilise Europe’s largest conflict since the Second World War.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s ambassador to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko, told VOA that Kyiv anticipated as many as 15,000 North Korean soldiers might be sent to Russia’s Kursk region and occupied parts of eastern Ukraine.
Mr Ponomarenko indicated they would rotate approximately every few months.
While South Korea’s Defence …