South Korean defence minister says ‘highly likely’ North Korean soldiers were killed in recent attack by Ukrainian forces.

North Korean soldiers appear to be fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, according to Seoul’s defence minister.

Kim Yong-hyun told South Korean politicians on Tuesday that it was “highly likely” that six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike near Donetsk on October 3, as reported by Ukrainian media last week.

The suggestion comes amid strengthening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korea has rebuffed accusations that it is supplying arms to Russia’s forces for use in its invasion of Ukraine.

“We assess that the occurrence of casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine is highly likely, considering various circumstances,” Kim said, adding that Seoul expects Pyongyang to send more troops to support Russia’s war effort.

“The issue of deploying regular troops is highly likely due to the mutual agreements that resemble a military alliance between Russia and North Korea,” he noted.

Deepening ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June adopted a comprehensive strategic partnership that includes a mutual defence pact.

South Korea, backed up by the United States, claims that Pyongyang has become a major supplier to Russia of weapons being used in Ukraine. The two countries have denied the allegations.

Analysts have warned that a recent increase in production and testing of artillery and cruise missiles by North Korea could be in preparation for further shipments to Russia.

North Korea is barred by United Nations sanctions from any tests using ballistic technology.

However, in March, Moscow used its UN Security Council veto to effectively end UN monitoring of violations, a move for which Pyongyang specifically thanked Russia.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen in recent months amid weapons tests in North Korea and large-scale military exercises in South Korea.

North Korea is expected to scrap a landmark inter-Korean agreement that was signed in 1991 at a parliamentary meeting this week as part of Kim’s drive to officially define the South as an enemy state.

Moscow and Pyongyang have been allies since North Korea’s founding after World War II and relations between the two countries have grown closer since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.