WASHINGTON: A “small number” of North Korean troops are currently stationed in Russia’s western front-line Kursk region, as confirmed by a Pentagon spokesperson on Tuesday. This development is part of ongoing military collaborations between North Korea and Russia, with indications suggesting that these troops will serve in “some type of infantry role.”
According to Yonhap News Agency, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided these insights following an earlier announcement that around 10,000 North Korean troops had been sent to train in eastern Russia. These troops are expected to bolster Russian forces near Ukraine in the coming weeks. Ryder detailed that a small contingent of North Korean troops is already present in the Kursk Oblast, with thousands more anticipated to arrive soon.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General, Mark Rutte, also confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk earlier this week. In response to inquiries about the combat roles these tr
oops might assume, Ryder noted that initial assessments suggest they will likely engage in infantry duties. The U.S. is closely monitoring any potential plans for North Korean troops to enter Ukraine, expressing concerns about their involvement in combat or support operations against Ukrainians in the Kursk region.
Addressing the potential use of U.S.-provided weapons against North Korean troops, Ryder emphasized that these arms are intended for Ukraine to defend its sovereignty against threats, whether from across the border or within its territory. He also raised questions about the nature of the agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially with regard to military collaborations and the provision of munitions from North Korea to Russia.
President Biden has expressed concerns over the dispatch of North Korean troops, as per the White House press corps’ pool report. When questioned about whether Ukraine should target these troops if they enter Ukrainian
territory, he stated, “If they cross into Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated that Russia’s training of North Korean troops contravenes several U.N. Security Council resolutions. He emphasized that such training involving arms or related materials directly violates Resolutions 1718, 1874, and 2270. These resolutions were implemented following North Korea’s nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, and 2016, imposing economic and other sanctions to curtail the North’s development of weapons of mass destruction.
Miller further highlighted the U.S.’s capability to impose sanctions on both Russia and North Korea, affirming that the U.S. is prepared to utilize these powers when necessary.