Russia has provided North Korea with antiaircraft missiles as part of a deal that includes sending North Korean troops to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine, South Korea’s national security adviser revealed on Friday.

In recent weeks, North Korea has reportedly deployed around 11,000 soldiers, some of whom have joined Russian forces in the ongoing battle to reclaim territories in the Kursk region, which was previously occupied by Ukraine. Since the summer of 2023, North Korea has also delivered nearly 20,000 shipping containers filled with weapons to Russia, including artillery, shells, short-range ballistic missiles, and multiple-rocket launchers, according to South Korean officials.

In exchange, North Korea has been seeking Russian assistance in modernizing its military and boosting its nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. One major weakness of the North Korean military has been its outdated air defense systems, while the United States, along with South Korea and Japan, operates advanced fleets of high-tech aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighters.

“We understand that Russia has provided related equipment and anti-air missiles to strengthen the air defense of Pyongyang,” South Korea’s national security adviser, Shin Won-shik, said during an interview with SBS-TV on Friday.

This cooperation between North Korea and Russia comes amid escalating rhetoric from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who continues to target the United States and South Korea. In a speech at a military exhibition on Thursday, Kim warned that the Korean Peninsula is facing unprecedented risks of nuclear conflict, blaming the growing tensions on Washington's “aggressive and hostile” policies.

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