US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken revealed on Thursday that about 10,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with about 8,000 deployed in the Kursk region.
He further said that although these troops have not yet engaged in combat against Ukrainian forces, he anticipates their involvement in the coming days.
Blinken’s comments on Thursday were echoed by US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III during a press conference with Cho Tae-yeul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Korea.
Blinken said, “We now estimate that there are approximately 10,000 North Korean troops in total in Russia. And recent information indicates that more than 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to the Kursk area. Have not seen troops deployed.” “In the fight against Ukrainian forces, but we hope that will happen in the coming days.”
He said, “Russia is training Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) troops in artillery, UAVs and basic infantry operations, which shows that they fully intend to use these forces in front-line operations.” Should these troops engage in hostilities or war-support operations against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military.”
The US Secretary of State has sharply criticized Russia, saying President Vladimir Putin is “putting the Russians through a meat grinder” and now turning to North Korea is a “clear sign of weakness”. He said, “One of the reasons why Russia is turning to North Korean troops is because it is desperate. Putin is putting more and more Russians into the meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine and now he is turning to North Korean troops. “Are taking a stance.” This is a clear sign of weakness.”
“Russia is suffering about 12,000 casualties a day and with the deployment of North Korean troops, this is the first time in 100 years that Russia has invited foreign troops into its country,” Blinken said.
Notably, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia on October 28 following Ukrainian military intelligence reports that mentioned their presence in the Kursk border area, as Al Jazeera reported.
Blinken also condemned North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, saying, “One of the things we emphasize today is an affirmation of the United States’ steadfast commitment to security… This North Korea This is important in view of the ongoing provocations by the US, including yet another ICBM launch just yesterday, we condemn in the strongest terms…”
Specifically, Japan’s Defense Ministry reported that North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Thursday morning, suspected to be an ICBM-class weapon.
The missile, launched at 7:11 a.m. local time, touched down north before landing in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) about 200 kilometers west of Hokkaido’s Okushiri island at 8:37 a.m., NHK World reports. Blown eastward from the interior of Korea.
Japan’s Defense Minister Nakatani Gen said the missile had a flight duration of one hour and 26 minutes, the longest trajectory of a North Korean ballistic missile to date. He further said that the missile traveled about 1,000 kilometers and reached a peak altitude of about 7,000 kilometers.
The launch is North Korea’s 12th ballistic missile or suspected ballistic missile launch this year and the first ICBM-class missile launch since December 2023.
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