Ukraine calls for strong allied reaction as North Korea sends forces
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga on Friday demanded an "immediate and strong reaction" from Kyiv's allies, saying North Korea was aiding Russia's invasion with troops and arms.
The comments came after Seoul's spy agency said North Korea had decided to send a "large-scale" troop deployment to support Moscow's war in Ukraine.
The statement by the spy agency prompted expressions of concern from France and Britain, both strong Ukraine allies.
"Russia seriously escalates its aggression by involving DPRK (North Korea) on a war party scale," Sybiga wrote on Twitter.
"We require an immediate and strong reaction from the Euro-Atlantic community and the world," he added.
"North Korea is aiding Russian aggression against Ukraine with weapons and personnel," Sybiga wrote on Twitter.
He said these North Koreans are not mercenaries, but "regular units, which Moscow plans to use as cannon fodder".
The minister called for Ukraine's allies to "scale up military support for Ukraine" and fully back President Volodymyr Zelensky's roadmap to end the war started by Russia.
Zelensky's "victory plan" includes a call for Ukraine to be immediately invited to join NATO.
Reiterating the plan's points, Sybiga urged: "Lift restrictions on long-range strikes. Start intercepting Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine. Extend invitation to NATO. Boost investment in Ukraine’s arms manufacturing. Take action!"
South Korea's National Intelligence Service on Friday released detailed satellite images it said showed the first deployment of elite North Korean special forces soldiers being moved by Russian military vessels to Vladivostok.
A senior Ukrainian presidency source told AFP some 1,500 North Korean special forces were already in Russia's Far East undergoing training.
"It's impossible to predict how this will play out on the battlefield if the North Korean military is there. This may complicate the situation," the source said.
Pyongyang and Moscow have been allies since North Korea's founding after World War II and have drawn even closer since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Seoul and Washington have long claimed that Kim Jong Un has been sending weapons for Russia's use in Ukraine.