The United States and NATO reported this Wednesday, October 23, for the first time, evidence of the presence of “thousands” of North Korean soldiers in Russia, seeing the risk of a major escalation in the war in Ukraine.
“We have evidence that North Korean troops went to (…) Russia,” US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin told reporters, according to a video of his statements released by the Washington Post.
“What exactly are they doing? That remains to be seen,” he added. “If they are co-belligerents, if they intend to participate in this war on behalf of Russia, that is a very, very serious question.”
Lloyd Austin spoke on the plane taking him to Italy, where he will participate in a meeting of his G7 counterparts.
A senior US official then clarified that “thousands of North Korean troops are in Russia for training,” adding that the United States “did not know what their mission would be or if they would go to fight in Ukraine.”
“If they do, it will be an indication of President (Russian Vladimir) Putin’s growing disarray in his war against Ukraine. Russia is suffering huge losses every day on the battlefield,” said the source, who requested anonymity.
3,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia
In Brussels, a NATO spokesman said that the countries of the Atlantic Alliance “confirmed evidence of the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia.”
“If these troops were destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation of North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war,” he added.
This is the first time that Washington and its allies have publicly discussed evidence of the presence of these North Korean troops in Russia.
Until then, and despite repeated assurances from their South Korean ally, US officials were extremely cautious and stated for several days that they could not confirm this information.
According to Seoul, North Korea has sent 1,500 additional troops to Russia, bringing the total to 3,000, Rep. Park Sun-won, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters after a briefing with the Intelligence Service. National (NIS).
A “media hype”
Some 10,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed to Russia in December, Park Sun-won added.
The NIS stated on Friday, October 18, that Pyongyang was sending “a large number” to support Russia in its offensive in Ukraine, within the framework of a military alliance with Moscow that could alter the security balance on the Korean Peninsula.
Russia, accused by Seoul, kyiv and Washington of hosting North Korean soldiers on its territory, urged to “ask Pyongyang” where its troops are.
“The armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea exist and where are they? Ask Pyongyang!” responded the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, during a press conference, denouncing “media exaggeration.”
Source: BFM TV
