In a significant development, North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to support Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. This announcement was reported by several media outlets on Monday.
Confirmation of troop deployment
The deployment, ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is said to have made a notable impact on efforts to reclaim Russian territory previously occupied by Ukrainian forces, according to state media reports.
On Saturday, Russia declared that all Ukrainian military personnel had been expelled from its Kursk region, which had fallen under Ukrainian control during an unexpected incursion last year.
Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces, confirmed the involvement of North Korean soldiers in combat against Ukrainian forces in the area. He stated that these troops participated in “combat missions shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen during the repelling of the Ukrainian incursion” and highlighted their “high professionalism, fortitude, courage, and heroism in battle.”
Background of military collaboration
In the fall, both Ukraine and its allies, including the US and South Korea, indicated that North Korea had deployed between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to assist Russia in the Kursk region. Until now, both Moscow and Pyongyang have been somewhat ambiguous regarding the troop deployment, focusing instead on the legality of their military cooperation under international law without explicitly acknowledging the presence of North Korean forces in Russia.
This situation continues to evolve, and our team is committed to providing the latest updates as more information becomes available.