The United States said on Wednesday at least 3,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and are training there, while warning that they would become legitimate targets for Kiev if they became involved in the war in Ukraine. .
Russia and North Korea have boosted their political and military alliance amid the Ukraine war, with Pyongyang long accused of supplying arms to Moscow’s military.
But deploying troops to support Russian forces would be a significant increase in that support and has drawn alarm from Kiev and its Western backers, who separately said on Wednesday they would provide $50 billion in loans to aid Ukraine.
“We estimate that North Korea sent at least 3,000 troops into eastern Russia between early and mid-October,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
The troops traveled by ship from North Korea to Vladivostok, Kirby said, and then “went to several Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently training.”
“We don’t know yet whether these troops will enter into combat with Russian forces,” he said, but “if these North Korean troops decide to engage in combat against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military targets.” “
North Korean state media have not commented since Seoul’s spy agency said last week that Pyongyang had decided to send “large-scale” troops to Russia to fight Ukraine.
Moscow declined to confirm or deny the reports on Wednesday, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova telling reporters they should “ask Pyongyang” where its troops are.
– International Concerns –
Following a briefing by the National Intelligence Service, South Korean lawmaker Park Sun-won earlier said 1,500 more troops had been sent to Russia, bringing the total deployment to 3,000.
Seoul says Pyongyang plans to deploy 10,000 troops to Russia by December as international concerns grow.
Germany said on Wednesday it had summoned North Korea’s envoy and warned him against sending troops to the reclusive state.
German Foreign Ministry social media platform
Kiev on Wednesday called on all North Korean troops deployed by Russia to lay down their arms and save their lives.
“We address the fighters of the Korean People’s Army who were sent to help Putin’s regime. You should not die senselessly in a foreign land,” said a statement issued by a group run by Kiev’s military intelligence.
“You must not repeat the fate of millions of Russian soldiers who will never return home!” This was added.
– ‘Putin’s help’ –
South Korea has said the nuclear-armed North is supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine. The latest warning comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a military agreement in June.
Officials said South Korea will send a delegation to NATO headquarters in Brussels next week to brief the alliance on the situation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Kiev’s allies to respond and has repeatedly said the North Korean deployment risks escalating and prolonging the war.
“It is important that our partners do not hide from this challenge. All partners,” he said in an address published late Tuesday.
He added, “And if Russia is still able to make this war bigger and longer, then everyone in the world who is not helping force Russia into peace is actually helping Putin fight it.” Is.”
In exchange for troops, North Korea is likely aiming to acquire military technology ranging from surveillance satellites to submarines, as well as potential security guarantees from Moscow, experts have said.
North Korea and Russia are under UN sanctions – Kim for his nuclear weapons program, and Moscow for the Ukraine war.
Kiev meanwhile received significant new international financial support on Wednesday in the form of a $50 billion loan, which US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the G7 countries would make available this year using profits from interest on frozen Russian assets. Are committed.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
