In a recent development, the South Korean government has issued a warning to Russia regarding its involvement with North Korea in supplying weapons to Ukraine. The statement from Seoul came as tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, with reports of recently naturalized citizens being forced to fight in the war.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, addressed the issue during a press conference in Seoul, cautioning Russia against making any mistakes that could harm relations between the two countries. The remarks were made in response to comments made by Russian foreign ministry official Maria Zakharova, who advised South Korea against providing arms to Ukraine.

"We hope that Russia gives up its dependency on North Korea and acts like a permanent member of the UN Security Council," stated Lim Soo-suk. This warning follows a recent visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where both leaders pledged to protect each other from foreign aggression.

The concern over Russia's ties with North Korea stems from the fact that both nations have strained relationships with the West and face several international sanctions. Furthermore, reports have emerged suggesting that Russia has been deploying a significant number of recently naturalized Russian citizens to Ukraine.

According to Russian news agency Interfax, Kremlin official Alexander Bastrykin revealed that approximately 10,000 of these citizens have been mobilized to fight in Ukraine. Bastrykin also mentioned that an additional 30,000 citizens who failed to register with the military had been forcibly enlisted.

Meanwhile, there are speculations that South Korea foresees North Korea sending engineers and military personnel to help rebuild Russian infrastructure in the occupied Donetsk Oblast region of Ukraine. This claim was made by a government official who believes that North Korean workers could be dispatched as early as July 2024.

Russia's annexation of parts of Donetsk and other regions in 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, has been considered illegal by the international community. The US think tank, Institute for the Study of War (ISW), has stated that while there have been no concrete reports of North Korean personnel participating in combat operations in Ukraine, engineering assistance from the isolated country could potentially bolster Russian forces.

The news of Seoul's warning to Russia coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the eastern Donetsk region, accompanied by Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Ukrainian forces in the region have been facing relentless ground and air attacks from the Russian army, which has been intensifying efforts to push back exhausted Ukrainian troops.

As the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, it remains to be seen how the warning from Seoul will impact the relations between South Korea, Russia, and North Korea. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, with hopes for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.