EU sanctions North Korea's Kim Young-bok and Noh Kwang-cheol for 'involvement in sending troops to Russia'

The European Union has sanctioned two more high-ranking North Korean officials, including Kim Young-bok, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, and Minister of National Defense Noh Kwang-chul, who were directly involved in sending North Korean troops to Russia.

The EU announced today (16th) that the 15th sanctions against Russia, including 54 individuals and 30 institutions and corporations, were adopted at the EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

In its official gazette, according to Ukrainian and South Korean authorities, Kim Young-bok was recently dispatched to Russia with North Korean troops and was in charge of the North Korean military in Russia, explaining the reason for the sanctions.

Noh Kwang-cheol also pointed out that he is directly involved in military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including the North Korean military's deployment to Russia.

In February, the EU previously sanctioned then-North Korean Defense Minister Kang Soon-nam and the North Korean Missile Directorate for their involvement in Russian missile support.

The sanctions also included Chinese companies that supplied drone parts to Russia for the first time.

It also included ships equivalent to a so-called "shadow fleet" that bypassed the price cap for Russian crude oil in the West, and 52 ships from third countries involved in transporting military equipment to Russia or grain seized from Ukraine.