South Korea says Russia supplied air defense missiles to North Korea in return for its troops

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russia has supplied air defense missile systems to North Korea in exchange for sending its troops to support Russia's war efforts against Ukraine, a top South Korean official said Friday.

The U.S., South Korea and Ukraine say North Korea sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia in October, some of whom have recently begun engaging in combat on the front lines. North Korea's troop deployment threatens to escalate the war, and what Russia could give to the North in return has been a source of rampant international speculation.

The most alarming development for South Korea and the U.S. would be Russia transferring sophisticated weapons technology that can enhance North Korea's nuclear-capable missiles targeting its rivals. Many experts say, though, that it is unlikely Russia would do this in the initial stage of the North’s troop deployment.

Shin Wonsik, national security adviser for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, told an SBS TV program Friday that South Korea has found Russia provided missiles and other equipment to help it reinforce its air defense network for Pyongyang, the capital. Shin didn’t say what specific missiles Russia gave to North Korea.

Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network in South Korea, said that Russia has likely sent S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and ground-based radar systems. He said that North Korea is capable of building shorter-range surface-to-air missiles on its own.

The S-400 missile, with a range of 400 kilometers (250 miles), is considered one of Russia’s most advanced anti-aircraft weapons. But Lee questioned how significantly it can boost Pyongyang’s air defense, saying Russian air defense systems have failed to effectively deal with Ukrainian drone assaults.

Many observers say North Korea has likely felt the urgent need to boost its air defense capabilities after it last month accused South Korea of flying drones to scatter propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang. North Korea threatened to take military action if leaflets were again dropped. South Korea’s military has refused to confirm whether or not it was behind the alleged drone flights.

Kim Dae Young, a military expert at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said it’s possible that the air defense systems North Korea acquired from Russia could include counter-drone equipment.

Kim said that Pyongyang's outdated air defense system would need years of improvement and potentially huge external help to cope with the superior air forces of South Korea and the United States.

Shin said Russia has also appeared to have given economic assistance to North Korea and various military technologies, including those needed for the North's efforts to build a reliable space-based surveillance system. Shin didn’t say whether Russia has already transferred sensitive nuclear and missile technologies to North Korea.

During a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin already said that Moscow was willing to help the North build satellites. North Korea put its first spy satellite into orbit in November last year, but foreign experts question whether that satellite can produce militarily meaningful imagery. The North's attempt to launch a second spy satellite failed in May.

North Korea and Russia have been sharply boosting their military and other cooperation in the face of separate confrontations with the U.S. and its allies. Last month, South Korea's spy agency said that North Korea had sent more than 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles and other conventional arms to Russia since August 2023 to replenish its dwindling weapons stockpiles. The National Intelligence Service said Wednesday that North Korea had recently sent additional artillery systems to Russia.

Earlier this week, North Korea and Russia reached a new agreement for expanding economic cooperation following high-level talks in Pyongyang this week, according to the countries’ state-run media.

South Korea's National Security Director Shin Wonsik delivers a speech at a conference in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (Shin Hyun-woo/Yonhap via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during an opening ceremony of a defense exhibition in Pyongyang, North Korea Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Countries at the United Nations climate summit amped up the pressure on themselves Friday by entering the last scheduled day of talks with no visible progress on their chief goals.

From the start, COP29 has been about climate finance — money that wealthy nations are obligated to pay to developing countries to cover damages resulting from extreme weather and to help those nations adapt to a warming planet. Experts put the figure at $1 trillion or more, but draft texts that emerged Thursday after nearly two weeks of talks angered the developing world by essentially leaving blank the financial commitment.

The talks often run into overtime as wealthier nations are pressed to pay for impacts caused largely by their emissions from centuries of burning fossil fuels. The late finish also adds pressure on Azerbaijan, the oil-rich nation presiding over this year's COP, or Conference of Parties.

In a statement late Thursday, the presidency struck an optimistic tone, saying the outlines of a financial package “are starting to take shape” and promised new draft texts on Friday.

Negotiators, observers and civil society organization representatives waited for a new draft text to be released on Friday with anticipation.

“We need a substantial number to come from here," said Ana Toni, Brazil’s National Secretary of Climate Change. Along with the U.K.'s energy minister Ed Miliband, Toni is one of the ministers in charge of an overall deal. “It’s just not the total amount is what’s the path to get to the number that all of us know that we need to achieve."

Beyond an overall figure for climate finance, negotiators need to agree what form the money comes in — whether its grants or loans — and who'll be footing the bill.

Switzerland Environment Minister Albert Rösti said it was important that the climate finance number is realistic.

“I think a deal with a high number that will never be realistic, that will never be paid… will be much worse than no deal,” he said. “The disappointment will arrive more soon that we can imagine.”

Western countries face practical budget restrictions and their commitments are voluntary, he said. The finance number needs to be higher than the $100 billion but it can’t be too high.

“Our voice will be there to have a success, but it must be realistic in the end,” he said.

Observers were vocal in their frustration at waiting for a new draft deal.

"This is the worst COP in recent memory," said Mohamed Adow of the think tank Power Shift Africa. “The way this COP is going, developing countries actually being forced and held hostage to accept a deal that isn’t going to add up to get the job done to help put the world on a safe pathway," he said.

“No deal is better than a bad deal,” said Harjeet Singh of the climate advocacy group, Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty.

Singh said the key bottleneck is rich countries’ reluctance to say how much they are willing to pay for countries to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy, adapt to the drought, storms an extreme heat and pay for losses and damages caused by climate change. Independent experts put the figure needed at $1 trillion per year.

“Things are absolutely stuck," he said. “It’s negotiation in bad faith by developed countries.”

Bryton Codd, part of Belize's negotiating team, said there is a lot of frustration felt by participants at the climate talks.

“I’m just waiting to see if that (climate finance goal) will actually be presented,” he said.

“Year after year our people come here and we dance this dance and play this game. No one comes here out of excitement, we come because we have no choice. Because we cannot let this process fail," said Tongan climate activist Joseph Sikulu with the environmental group 350.org. “Nothing less than $1 trillion in grants per year will be enough to see those most impacted by climate change on a just transition towards a safe, equitable future.”

Associated Press journalist Ahmed Hatem contributed to this report.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Activists participate in a demonstration for climate justice at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The sun rises visible behind a transmission tower during the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Dion George, South Africa environment minister, left, walks past a person in a dugong costume during the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)