Korean volunteers deployed to front-line units in Ukraine: official

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Mon, December 4, 2023 | 19:11

Defense

Korean volunteers deployed to front-line units in Ukraine: official

Posted : 2022-03-28 17:04

Updated : 2022-03-28 17:45

Members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces walk in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine, March 23. AFP-Yonhap

Some volunteer soldiers from Korea have been deployed in front-line units fighting against Russia, according to an official from Ukraine's military.

Damien Magrou, a spokesperson for the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, confirmed the activities of Koreans during a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency.

Ukraine claimed that it established the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, Feb. 27, days after Russia's invasion, and over 20,000 people from 52 countries have joined the brigade-level unit.

This was the first interview the Ukrainian foreign brigade has done with Korean media.

Magrou said volunteers from many countries, including Korea, have joined the international brigade but refused to disclose the number of volunteers by nationality.

He declined to confirm the location of individual foreign volunteers for their safety and operational security, but said that Rhee Keun, a former Korean Navy special warfare officer-turned-YouTuber, has not yet been deployed to a front-line unit.

Rhee has drawn media attention after leaving for Ukraine in early March to join the war against Russia.

Korea's foreign ministry has warned of possible prison sentences for its citizens seeking to join Ukraine's military to fight against Russia's invasion without due approval from the government. It said March 18 that nine Koreans, including Rhee, were staying in Ukraine. (Yonhap)

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