Washington: North Korea has dispatched approximately 10,000 troops to eastern Russia, a move that is anticipated to bolster Russian forces near Ukraine in the coming weeks, according to a U.S. National Security Council (NSC) official. President Joe Biden has described the deployment as “very dangerous.”
According to Yonhap News Agency, a spokesperson from the NSC confirmed the deployment after North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that North Korean troops have been stationed in Russia’s western front-line Kursk region. This development has raised fears of further escalation in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The NSC spokesperson stated, “We believe that North Korea has sent around 10,000 total soldiers to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks.” It was also noted that some of these soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine.
Pentagon’s Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh echoed these concerns
during a press briefing, as reported on the Department of Defense’s website. Singh emphasized the potential use of North Korean soldiers in combat or to support operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, highlighting the growing apprehension about Russia’s intentions.
Singh remarked, “Should DPRK soldiers be used on the battlefield, this would mark a further escalation and highlights President Putin’s increasing desperation as Russia has suffered extraordinary casualties on the battlefield.” The use of North Korean troops could indicate that Putin may be facing more challenges than previously perceived.
She also warned of the implications should North Korean troops engage in combat, particularly regarding the U.S.’s stance on the use of its provided weapons against these forces. Singh stated, “If we see DPRK troops moving in and towards the front lines, I mean, they are co-belligerents in the war. So they are fighting on these front lines and the Ukrainians are defending their sovereign t
erritory and pushing the Russians back.”
President Biden, while casting an early ballot at the Delaware Department of Elections, addressed the North Korean troop deployment for the first time. He labeled the situation as “very dangerous” and alluded to political implications involving former President Donald Trump, without delving into specifics.