"Russia is believed to have provided Pyongyang with missiles and other equipment to bolster its air defense capabilities," said National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik during his appearance on an SBS TV program.
Shin also speculated that Russia had offered assistance following North Korea's failed satellite launch in May. "Russia had already expressed its intention to help North Korea with satellite technologies and apparently supplied a range of military technologies," he said.
Earlier this week, South Korea's spy agency briefed lawmakers that the North Korean troops deployed in Russia have joined Moscow's airborne brigade and marine corps. Some of these soldiers are believed to have already engaged in combat in Kursk, a Russian territory occupied by Ukraine.
In a related development, The Wall Street Journal reported the previous day that a high-ranking North Korean general has been "wounded as a result of Ukrainian missile strikes," citing an anonymous Western official.
Specific details about the general's identity and the extent of his injuries were not available, but he is reportedly a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and was frequently seen accompanying him.
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