"Putin relies on North Korea for failing to find a bullet in Russia"

Regarding the South Korean government's announcement and media reports that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, the U.K. observed that "Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to rely on North Korea as it becomes more difficult to recruit Russian bullets."

British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward expressed her opinion at a U.N. Security Council meeting on the 21st local time, saying she was "deeply concerned" by reports of North Korea's increasing involvement in the war in Ukraine.

Russia is suffering from a shortage of troops on the front lines because of the more than two-year war, which has also made it difficult to cope with Ukraine's occupation of its territory.

Western authorities and security experts say President Putin is reluctant to impose compulsory punishment on his citizens for fear of worsening public opinion.

Ambassador Woodward argued that North Korea is likely to have agreed to send combat troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Russia is already bringing weapons from North Korea to inflict pain on the Ukrainian people," he said. "This is an act of violating the Security Council resolution that Russia directly voted in favor of."

In particular, he predicted, "We can be sure that the North Korean leadership will demand a great price from Russia due to the recent dispatch of troops."

Ambassador Woodward also called for the Security Council's attention to Russia's recent attacks on commercial grain carriers in the Black Sea.