North Korea sends troops to participate in Russia-Ukraine war, Putin does not deny it_1
On October 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not deny claims from Ukraine regarding North Korean troops being deployed to the Russian border. He remarked, “We coordinate with our North Korean friends.” This statement came after Ukraine indicated that North Korean forces have arrived in the “combat zone” of Kursk, where Russian troops have been engaged in ongoing efforts to repel the Ukrainian military.
It’s been over two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. On August 6, Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Kursk from the northeast, catching Moscow authorities off guard and significantly boosting morale within Ukraine.
In June, President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a mutual defense agreement. Observers believe North Korea has been supplying weapons and equipment to support Russia’s aggression in Ukraine; however, the involvement of North Korean troops on the ground would signal an escalation of the conflict.
On October 24, Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency (GUR) stated that “the first units of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea…have arrived in the combat zone of the Russia-Ukraine war,” noting that these forces were recorded in Kursk as of October 23.
Ukraine claims that approximately 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, though it hasn’t specified how many are in Kursk. According to the United States and South Korea, thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia for training.
Putin, while addressing the situation, acknowledged the deployment without outright denial, saying, “Russia has never doubted that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea takes its cooperation with us seriously. We coordinate with our North Korean friends.” He added, “What we decide to do is our business.”
Just hours prior to Putin’s remarks, the lower house of the Russian parliament unanimously approved a treaty with North Korea that involves mutual assistance in the event of aggression. This treaty is expected to be ratified by the upper house on November 6.
Meanwhile, according to reports from South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on October 24 that while South Korea had previously maintained a principle of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, it could adopt a more flexible approach in response to North Korea deploying special forces to assist Russian efforts against Ukraine. He indicated that should North Korean special forces be sent to aid Russia, South Korea would consider phased support to Ukraine, along with necessary measures to ensure security on the Korean Peninsula.
The United States has warned that if these North Korean troops engage in combat in Ukraine, the Kyiv government would regard them as legitimate military targets.
