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The US says about 8,000 troops from North Korea are stationed in Russia’s Kursk region

The US says about 8,000 troops from North Korea are stationed in Russia’s Kursk region

The Biden administration has said that about 8,000 soldiers from North Korea are now in Russia near the Ukrainian border and are preparing to help the Kremlin battle Ukrainian forces in the coming days.

The new figure marks a dramatic increase from a day earlier, when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said only that “some” of troops had moved toward the Ukrainian border in the Kursk region, where Moscow’s forces are struggling had to push back a Ukrainian invasion.

It would also mean that most of the North Korean troops that the US and its allies say were sent to Russia are now on the Russia-Ukraine border.

“North Korea’s (North Korea) participation in the fight against Ukraine would be an alarming extension of the conflict. North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia already marks a dangerous expansion of ties between Russia and North Korea,” said Robert A. Wood, Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The United Nations said this during a session of the Security Council.

“Russia’s actions towards the DPRK are not only dangerous, but also contrary to Russia’s responsibility as a permanent member of this UN Security Council. Russian military cooperation with the DPRK violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions, which prohibit both the purchase of North Korean weapons and the provision of military training.”

The US estimates there are a total of 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia. Seoul and its allies said the number rose to 11,000, while Ukraine put the figure higher at a maximum of 12,000.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that although North Korean troops have been deployed in Kursk, they have not yet taken part in hostilities.

A multi-storey apartment building is damaged during a Russian attack in Kharkiv, October 30, 2024A multi-storey apartment building is damaged during a Russian attack in Kharkiv, October 30, 2024

A multi-storey apartment building is damaged during a Russian attack in Kharkiv, October 30, 2024 – Andrii Marienko/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved

“They are already in the Kursk region. They will use these troops. Of course these people will die. Of course, they will try to do anything to ensure that more North Korean soldiers die, which means they will force more soldiers to advance them than Russia. And so we will see these victims together with you,” he said in an interview with South Korean television channel KBS.

Deepening the relationship

North Korea’s move to deepen its relationship with Russia has raised global concerns over how it could expand the war and what Russian military aid will be provided in return.

It was a top issue when U.S. and South Korean leaders met in Washington this week, fueling concerns that the presence of North Korean troops could further destabilize the Asia-Pacific region and fuel Moscow’s war against Ukraine can broaden.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the deployment “in the strongest possible terms” and called for an immediate troop withdrawal.

North Korea’s belligerent actions endanger not only the European continent but also the Korean Peninsula and Seoul agrees to “take necessary measures accordingly,” he said.

There are also questions about what new military technologies North Korea could get from Russia in return for the deployment and whether this could prompt other countries to send their own troops to the war.

Meanwhile, the director of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs told the Security Council that both Russia and Ukraine have continued to receive weapons, ammunition and other forms of military aid from other countries, fueling the fighting.

“Recent reports also refer to the presence of third-party military personnel in the Russian Federation to assist in military operations against Ukrainian forces. We urge all stakeholders to refrain from steps that could lead to further spillover and intensification of the war,” Adedeji said. said Ebo.