Pentagon, NATO confirm deployment of North Korean troops in Russia

Last Updated on October 30, 2024 6:06 am

The Pentagon and the Western military alliance NATO have confirmed that North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia for training. On Monday (October 28), Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed this information to reporters, Reuters reported.

Although Washington last week reported that North Korea had deployed 3,000 troops to Russia. Sabrina Singh said, we estimate that North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training. These troops may be deployed with Russian forces in Ukraine in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, on the same day, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the information about the sending of North Korean troops to Russia. He said that North Korean military units have been deployed in the Kursk border area of ​​Russia.

In response to North Korea’s troop deployment in Russia, Kiev has asked Western allies to provide more weapons to Ukraine and allow it to launch strikes deep into Russia. A South Korean delegation briefed NATO officials and diplomats on Monday on the North Korean troop deployment in Russia. “The close military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” Rutte told reporters.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul also expressed concern in a telephone conversation with Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Yun told von der Leyen that North Korea’s deployment to the front lines of the Ukraine war could happen sooner than expected.

Although Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the allegations of troop transfers, both countries have pledged to strengthen military ties. The bilateral defense agreement was signed at a summit between the two countries in June. The Kremlin has dismissed South Korea’s claims about North Korea sending troops as “fake news.”

Sources: AFP, Reuters