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North Korean troops in Ukraine: How powerful is Pyongyang’s army?

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Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that the fact North Korea has its boots on the ground in temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine is “the first step to a World War”, sparking a fresh wave of worry and concerns surrounding the country’s military capacity.

“This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about sending people from North Korea to the occupying military forces,” he said.

Zelenskyy’s announcement comes days after Ukrainian outlet The Kyiv Independent reported that North Korea has sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia in a bid to boost its offensive on Ukraine.

While the Kremlin dismissed these reports, the prospect of North Korean troops fighting on Moscow’s side in the heart of Europe begs the question: how strong is Pyongyang’s army and can it afford to send its forces to Ukraine?

The world’s fourth-largest army

North Korea possesses the world’s fourth-largest military, with nearly 1.3 million active personnel representing approximately 5% of the total population. An additional 600,000 are believed to serve as reserve soldiers.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made defence spending a priority, with Pyongyang stating in January that 15.9% of total government expenditure for this year would go to defence.

Although the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not provide a specific figure, this estimate is similar to the ones announced in recent years.

Meanwhile, independent estimates say that Pyongyang likely spent around 36.3% of its GDP on its military in 2023, or the second in the world in this category.

While the North Korean army has also been reported to use outdated technology and fighting equipment, its leadership makes up for the difference in tech by mobilising its troops in massive numbers, similar to Moscow.

This observation was echoed by Pentagon’s press secretary, Major Patrick Ryder, who said in June that Russia would use Pyongyang’s soldiers as cannon fodder, much like its own troops.

However, for many, North Korea’s advances in the fields of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons are far more concerning.

How powerful are Pyongyang’s nukes?

Ever since he took power in 2011, Kim Jong-un has been accelerating the country’s nuclear program. Over the last 13 years, Kim has directed four nuclear tests: one in 2013, two in 2016, and another in 2017.

He also ordered 160 missile tests, a figure which far exceeds the number of trials conducted under his father, Kim Yong-il, and grandfather, North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung. These missiles are believed to be able to reach the mainland in the US.

With each test, North Korea’s nuclear explosions have grown in power. The last nuclear test carried out to date, in September 2017, was far significantly larger than expected, which gives some weight to Pyongyang’s claims that it has the materials to create a hydrogen bomb.

However, North Korea has not conducted any similar tests since. In 2018, it claimed to have shut down its main nuclear material production site, the Yongbyon reactor complex.

This followed the country’s summit with the United States, with former US President Donald Trump travelling to Singapore to meet with Kim.

Yet, these claims were in turn disputed by a report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) in 2021, asserting that North Korea had once again started producing fissile material at Yongbyon.

By mid-2022, satellite imagery showed that construction was progressing, with the IAEA expressing concern that North Korea was preparing for another nuclear test.

In September, North Korea released pictureswhich offered a rare glimpse into the country’s nuclear weapons programme. They offered an unprecedented insight into the centrifuges used by the nation to make bomb-grade uranium.

The photos — thought to have been Kim’s power move — triggered a fresh wave of concern among the West and the international community.

“As these pictures show, and beyond that, they have a vast nuclear program, which is perhaps the only one in the world on which there is no visibility in terms of the observance of the basic international nuclear safety standards,” Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview with AP.

Kim Jong Un walks around what it says is a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on the launcher at an undisclosed location in North Korea, 24 March 2022 朝鮮通信社/AP

What about South Korea?

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea have also escalated in the last weeks following the release of the pictures.

Despite this, the two countries have long-term tense and fiery relations. For instance, in a dramatic move, North Korean media announced that the country would “shut down all contact” with South Korea in 2019.

This came as the nation called for Seoul to prevent activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.

In early October, Kim Jong-un renewed hostilities, threatening to use nuclear weapons to destroy South Korea should an attack take place, state media reported.

Meanwhile, Seoul has been escalating its weapons production in preparation for a potential attack.

Last year, the country’s Defence Ministry announced plans to spend €223.78 billion in the next five years to bolster its defence capabilities.

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Elderly Man Breaks Down In Tears As Fulani Herdsmen Kill His Family, Destroy His Farm In Benue (Video)

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A heartbreaking story has emerged from Benue State as an elderly man broke down in tears after surviving an attack by Fulani herdsmen.

In a viral video shared by @ChuksericE on X, the old man, now displaced and deeply traumatized, said the attackers not only killed his loved ones but also destroyed the farmland and crops his family depended on for survival, leaving them with nothing.

In his words, he said:

“Fulani herdsmen killed my people and destroyed the crops and farmland that my family depended on for food. Now we have nothing left to eat. I live in a family house in the village which has now become a camp. There are more than 200 people staying there, all from the same family.”

According to him, he and his extended family, more than 200 people, had been living in an overcrowded family camp house in the village before the brutal attack.

Visibly shaken, the elderly man explained that daily survival has become a struggle, as they have no food, no home, and no clear idea of how to rebuild their lives after losing both their loved ones and their livelihood.

The video of his painful account has sparked emotional reactions nationwide. A commentator wrote, “This is too heartbreaking. How can one family face this much pain?” Another said, “Over 200 people displaced? Benue needs urgent intervention.”

The man’s cry for help has drawn widespread sympathy, with many Nigerians calling for immediate relief support and stronger security measures to protect vulnerable communities across Benue and other affected regions.

Watch video below…

https://x.com/ChuksEricE/status/1997625706344570975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1997625706344570975%7Ctwgr%5E80a0d0d13a50e6df26d5857bdefcb0a0bef64cbb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnaijalamp.com%2F2025%2F12%2F07%2Felderly-man-breaks-down-in-tears-as-fulani-herdsmen-kill-his-family-destroy-his-farm-in-benue-video%2F

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Man Beaten To Death In Lagos For Sleeping With Employer’s Wife

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A young man from Plateau State, identified as Nengak, has been reportedly beaten to death by a mob in Lagos State after he was allegedly caught in a compromising situation with the wife of his employer.

According to a friend of the deceased, Bitrus Idi, who spoke to Daily Post, Nengak, a security guard, worked for a family in the upscale Victoria Garden City (VGC) in Lagos.

Nengak, who was in his early 20s, reportedly performed various household duties, including cooking, washing cars, and taking the couple’s children to school.

Idi revealed that the household’s husband was often away on international trips, leaving Nengak and his employer’s wife alone in the house.

“Being a handsome, strong, and hardworking young guy, his master’s wife had a crush on him and began inviting him for other duties outside what he was employed to do,” Idi said.

According to Idi, the affair had reportedly been going on for months, but it came to light when the husband installed a CCTV camera after hearing rumors about his wife’s infidelity.

“The man had pretended to be travelling outside Lagos. Unbeknownst to Nengak, the man had installed CCTV and had gotten enough evidence,” Idi explained.

On the day of the incident, the employer reportedly told his wife he was travelling but had secretly arranged for a group of local thugs to wait around the house. When the wife called Nengak to the master bedroom as usual, the husband and his gang burst in and caught the pair in the act.

“They beat Nengak to death, and till now, the case is still to be filed as we have nobody to fight for him,” Idi said. He also revealed that the police had demanded payment for the autopsy and other related expenses before they would proceed with the case.

As of now, Nengak’s body remains in the mortuary while his family and friends await further action.

 

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Imo: Mortuary owner on the run as police declare him wanted over alleged organ harvesting

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One Mr. Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, a mortuary owner in Umuhu Autonomous Community in Ngor-okpala LGA, Imo State, is now on the run after the police declared him wanted over allegations of organ harvesting in the facility.

Oparaugo also runs a hotel in the community.

The Imo State Police Command carried out an operation at the mortuary which led to the discovery of disjointed and unkempt corpses in the facility.

The manner in which the dead bodies were tampered with, according to the police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, suggested that organ harvesting is going on in the mortuary.

In a statement made available to journalists, Okoye disclosed that the operation was personally led by the police commissioner, Aboki Danjuma, acting on credible intelligence concerning the activities of the morgue.

He added that the operation was assisted by a vigilante group from the LGA, in line with ongoing efforts to curb kidnapping and other violent crimes within the state, especially along the Owerri–Aba Expressway.

The statement disclosed that decomposed and mutilated corpses were discovered in unhygienic conditions in the morgue.

“Following these discoveries, both the hotel and mortuary were sealed on the directive of the state government. The suspect’s residence was also searched, and crucial exhibits were recovered,” the statement explained.

Okoye further hinted that a forensic report which was documented by the pathological department of the State Specialist Hospital will be used in the ongoing investigation.

He added that the Commissioner of Police assured the public that all accomplices would be identified and brought to justice.

“Stanley Morocco Oparaugo has been declared wanted. Anyone with useful information should contact the nearest police station or call 0803 477 3600.
Maximum security has also been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command assures travelers during the holidays of its commitment to their safety,” the statement added.

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