Russia gave North Korea anti-air missiles in exchange for troops, Seoul says

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — 

Russia gave North Korea anti-air missiles successful speech for deploying troops to enactment Moscow's warfare successful Ukraine, Seoul's apical information advisor said Friday.

The United States and South Korea person accused the nuclear-armed North of sending much than 10,000 soldiers to assistance Russia combat Ukraine, with experts saying Kim Jong Un was anxious to summation precocious technology, and conflict acquisition for his troops, successful return.

Asked what Seoul believes Pyongyang has received for the troops, apical information advisor Shin Won-sik said: "It has been identified that instrumentality and anti-aircraft missiles aimed astatine reinforcing Pyonyang's susceptible aerial defence strategy person been delivered to North Korea."

Speaking to section broadcaster SBS, Shin added that North Korea has received "various forms of economical support" and "following the nonaccomplishment (launch) connected May 27, North Korea has been moving connected satellite-related technology."

Experts person antecedently said that successful instrumentality for the troops, North Korea was apt aiming to get subject technology, ranging from surveillance satellites to submarines, arsenic good arsenic imaginable information guarantees from Moscow.

North Korean person Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategical concern pact successful June, during the Kremlin chief's visit.

It obligates some states to supply subject assistance "without delay" successful the lawsuit of an onslaught connected the different and to cooperate internationally to reason Western sanctions.

Putin hailed the woody arsenic a "breakthrough document."

Experts accidental Pyongyang could beryllium utilizing Ukraine arsenic a means of realigning overseas policy.

By sending soldiers, North Korea is positioning itself wrong the Russian warfare system arsenic a supplier of weapons, subject enactment and labour -- perchance bypassing its accepted ally, neighbour and main trading partner, China, according to analysts.

Russia tin besides supply North Korea entree to its immense earthy resources, specified arsenic lipid and gas, they say.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui precocious visited Moscow and said her state would "stand firmly by our Russian comrades until triumph day."

She called Moscow's violative against Ukraine a "sacred struggle" and said Pyongyang believed successful Putin's "wise leadership."

North Korea and Russia are nether rafts of UN sanctions -- Kim for his atomic weapons program, and Moscow for the Ukraine war.

When asked publically astir the deployment of North Korean troops past month, Putin deflected the question to knock the West's enactment of Ukraine.

North Korea said past period that immoderate unit deployment to Russia would beryllium "an enactment conforming with the regulations of planetary law," but stopped abbreviated of confirming that it had sent soldiers.

North Korea's deployment of troops has led to a displacement successful code from Seoul, which has resisted calls to nonstop lethal weapons to Kyiv but precocious indicated it mightiness alteration its long-standing policy.