The Pentagon has confirmed that DPRK troops are in Russia: this is a very serious problem
23 October 2024 16:12
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said that there is evidence that North Korean troops are stationed in Russia. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Reuters.
The Pentagon chief refrained from giving details about the purpose of these forces’ presence in Russia.
“There is evidence that DPRK troops are in Russia. What exactly they are doing remains to be seen. This is something we need to figure out,” Austin said.
He added that it would be “very, very serious” if they are preparing to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, as Kyiv claims.
“We will continue to work on this and see what happens here. If they are accomplices in the war, if they intend to participate in this war on behalf of Russia, this is a very, very serious problem,” Austin said.
Meanwhile, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the National Security and Defence Council’s Disinformation Counteraction Centre, posted on Telegram that North Korean soldiers had been relocated in Russia.
“There is a movement of DPRK military from the Far East of Russia deep into Russia. Let me remind you that Russia plans to use the Koreans first in the Kursk region,” he wrote.
Earlier, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea had decided to send 12,000 special forces soldiers to support Russia, most of whom are already in training and will be deployed to the front, according to the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kirill Budanov, on 1 November. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that this could be “the first step towards a world war”.
North Korea has also reportedly provided Russia with thousands of containers of ammunition. Last month, Kyrylo Budanov called North Korea’s support for the war “the worst problem” Kyiv faces from Moscow’s allies.
The deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is a cause for concern in both South Korea and NATO. During a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol condemned the military alliance and said that South Korea would take “gradual measures” in response to the threats.
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Cooperation between the DPRK and Russia
on 19 June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. During this visit, he signed an agreement on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. After the signing, Putin noted that this agreement provides for assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties. Recently, the agreement was submitted for ratification in the Russian parliament. The agreement explicitly provides for military assistance:
"If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack by any state or several states and is thus in a state of war, the other party shall immediately provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
After the visit, it became known that the DPRK supplies Russia with artillery shells, which it uses in the war against Ukraine. According to The Times, their number is already approaching 3 million, which is half of all the shells that Russia is firing against Ukraine.
The Kyiv Post, citing intelligence sources, reported that on 3 October, 6 North Korean officers who were advising the Russians were killed in Donbas.
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