Russia gave N Korea oil, anti-air missiles in exchange for troops

SEOUL: Russia provided North Korea with oil, anti-air missiles and economic help in exchange for troops to support Moscow´s war on Ukraine, government officials and a research group said on Friday.

The United States and South Korea have accused the nuclear-armed North of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine, with experts saying Kim Jong Un was eager to gain advanced technology, and battle experience for his troops, in return.

Asked what Seoul believes the North has received for the deployment, South Korea´s top security adviser Shin Won-sik said: “It has been identified that equipment and anti-aircraft missiles aimed at reinforcing Pyongyang´s vulnerable air defense system have been delivered to North Korea.” Speaking to local broadcaster SBS, Shin added that North Korea has received “various forms of economic support”. Separately, non-profit research group Open Source Centre said Pyongyang obtained oil shipments from Russia.

It cited satellite images showing that more than a dozen North Korean oil tankers making a total of 43 trips to an oil terminal in Russia´s ports over the last eight months, according to a BBC report.