South Korea says Russia supplied anti-air missiles to North Korea

Russia has supplied North Korea with anti-air missiles in exchange for thousands of troops it has sent to support Russia's war against Ukraine, a South Korean official said on Friday.

The US, South Korea and Ukraine say that at least 10,000 troops have been sent from North Korea to Russia to fight against Ukraine, sparking speculation over what Pyongyang stands to gain in return.

South Korea's National Security Director Shin Wonsik told SBS TV on Friday that Russia provided anti-air missiles and other equipment to reinforce Pyongyang's air defence network. Shin added that Russia had also given North Korea economic assistance.

Earlier, Seoul said that North Korea has sent at least 13,000 containers of artillery to Russia, alongside missiles and other conventional arms.

South Korea previously expressed concern that Russia would provide North Korea with sensitive nuclear and missile technologies in order to expand Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme in exchange for its troops.

Increased cooperation

The presence of North Korea's troops in Russia fighting on its behalf has sparked fears that the war in Ukraine could escalate, and that the two internationally isolated countries are increasingly cooperating.

The US previously confirmed that North Korean troops were sent to Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion in early August.

If North Korea's troops entered Ukraine, it would mark the first instance of a third country engaging directly in the war. Western countries have continuously provided Ukraine with weapons and aid, but have stopped short of sending troops.

NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte said in October that the presence of North Korean troops marked a "dangerous escalation" of the conflict.

Rutte added that Russia's reliance on foreign support to sustain his war against Ukraine was a sign of its growing desperation, with scores of Russian troops killed as the war grinds on into its third year.

This month, North Korea ratified also a landmark defence pact between itself and Russia, promising to provide each other with mutual military assistance if attacked, a move some observers say indicates that North Korea could formally enter the war soon.