North Korea supports Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Umerov says

North Korean forces are “actively supporting” Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Nov. 27.

Umerov did not specify how Pyongyang aids Russian strikes on energy facilities. Throughout the all-out war, North Korea has become Moscow’s leading supplier of ballistic missiles and artillery shells.

Russia carried out a massive campaign of aerial attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the spring, similar to the one launched during the fall and winter of 2022-23. Officials have warned that Russia may continue targeting the energy grid as winter approaches.

The Ukrainian minister arrived in South Korea earlier on Nov. 27 and discussed “joint steps to enhance security and stability” with the country’s President Yoon Suk Yeol. Umerov also met with National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

Pyongyang is believed to have dispatched over 10,000 troops to aid Russia’s war, with the first clashes with Ukrainian forces reported in Kursk Oblast.

“For the Republic of Korea, these actions pose a serious threat, as North Korean troops are gaining combat experience, which could present additional security challenges in the region in the future,” Umerov said.

Experts told the Kyiv Independent that a rapid supply of arms to Ukraine is unlikely due to South Korea’s legal contains on providing weapons to a combat zone.

A South Korean official recently said that direct supplies of 155 mm ammunition are not on the table, with Yoon commenting that Seoul is currently looking at the possibility of providing “defensive weapons,” without providing details.