Minister Kim Yong-hyun said, "There is a high possibility that six North Korean officers were killed in the attack on Ukraine."

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said reports of North Korean soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war are likely true.

Minister Kim said at the National Defense Committee's parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense that the casualties of North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine are highly likely to be true in various circumstances.

Asked by Sung Il-jong if North Korea could help Russia send regular troops, he added that Russia and North Korea are very likely to send additional troops because they have an agreement that is almost comparable to a military alliance.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that more than 20 Russian troops, including six North Korean officers, were killed in a Russian-occupied area near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, and more than three North Korean soldiers were also injured.