North Korean troops bolster Russia in Ukraine conflict escalation
North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia and deployed in the Kursk region, confirmed the head of NATO.
12:03 PM EDT, October 28, 2024
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the Alliance has verified that North Korean troops have entered Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
NATO: significant escalation
Speaking in Brussels, Rutte described this development as a "significant escalation" of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, indicating the "desperation" of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The head of NATO also reported that about 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in the war in Ukraine. "This is proof that Putin is unable to continue attacking Ukraine without foreign support," Rutte stated.
Previously, European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali expressed that North Korea sending soldiers to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine constitutes a serious breach of international law, including the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.
She acknowledged that the European Commission is concerned about reports of North Korea sending troops and is closely monitoring the situation.
North Korean soldiers in Russia
Massrali also referred to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's statement on Thursday, noting that if the reports of troops being sent to fight against Ukraine are accurate, it would represent a "unilateral hostile act by North Korea, with serious consequences for European and global peace and security." Borrell added that these events again demonstrate how Russia fuels instability and contributes to the escalation both regionally and globally.
Soldiers from the north were expected to reach the front by Sunday or Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing intelligence data, provided this information on Friday. According to the South Korean intelligence agency NIS, Kim Jong Un's regime sent about 12,000 troops to Russia.
