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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 13, 2023 in Russia; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Image: AP
Kyiv’s National Resistance Centre has claimed that the Kremlin is orchestrating a contentious plan to deploy workers from North Korea to temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine. This controversial move, allegedly devised by Russia, comes on the heels of a recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
According to the National Resistance Centre, which operates under Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, Russia’s intentions revolve around utilising these workers for construction projects in Donetsk and Luhansk, areas currently under temporary occupation.
The report suggests that attempts to recruit labour migrants for the occupation forces have already been documented this year. The centre warned, “Therefore, it is not excluded that working squads of citizens of the Republic of Korea may be used in the interests of the support of the occupation troops.”
The revelations follow North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s week-long visit to Russia, during which he toured significant military installations. This visit marked the longest foreign trip undertaken by Kim since he assumed power in 2011. Last week, Kim engaged in extensive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he expressed support for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, referring to it as a ‘sacred’ invasion.
In a separate development, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar provided updates on Ukrainian troops’ progress along the eastern front. She reported that Ukrainian forces had reclaimed an additional two square kilometres (0.77 square miles) of territory in the vicinity of the war-ravaged city of Bakhmut over the past week.
This announcement comes on the heels of Ukraine’s successful recapture of Andriivka and Klishchiivka, two villages situated on the southern periphery of Bakhmut. Since launching their highly anticipated counteroffensive three months ago, Ukrainian forces have liberated a total of 51 square kilometres (19 square miles) around Bakhmut.
Further to the south in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops have been holding off a Russian offensive directed towards the towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka. Ukrainian forces are also striving to advance towards the Sea of Azov in a southern campaign, where they managed to retake an additional 5.2 square kilometres (two square miles) of territory in the past week.
Despite steady progress against entrenched Russian positions and the recapture of several villages, Ukrainian forces have not yet secured any major settlements during their counteroffensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials have responded to Western critics, dismissing claims of a slow and error-riddled offensive.