US and NATO confirm North Korean troops are now in Russia
If they’re going to join Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine on Moscow’s side, that is “a very, very serious issue,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Lloyd Austin said that it remains to be seen what exactly Pyongyang's forces are doing there, but according to South Korean and Ukrainian warnings, they are preparing to join Russia's side in the war in Ukraine. | Sergei Olexandrov/AFP via Getty Images
October 23, 2024 1:54 pm CET
The United States and NATO have "evidence" that North Korean troops have deployed to Russia, the U.S. defense secretary and a spokesperson for the transatlantic military alliance said Wednesday.
Lloyd Austin, the U.S. defense chief, said that it remains to be seen what exactly Pyongyang's forces are doing there, but according to South Korean and Ukrainian warnings, they are preparing to join Russia's side in the war in Ukraine.
“If they’re a co-belligerent, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only on in Europe — It will also impact things in the Indo Pacific as well,” Austin said.
The Kremlin's use of North Korean troops in the combat zone would mark a significant broadening of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, and could prompt Western allies to become more actively involved in the conflict.
Austin said the U.S. is also still attempting to determine what North Korea will get in return for helping Russia with manpower.
NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon that: “Allies have confirmed evidence of a DPRK troop deployment to Russia. If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war and yet another sign of Russia’s significant losses on the front lines.
"We are actively consulting within the Alliance on this matter, and the North Atlantic Council will receive a briefing from the Republic of Korea and further discuss this matter soon,” the spokesperson added.
Kyiv has already published a video address to DPRK troops, calling on soldiers to surrender as soon as they are deployed to fight in Ukraine.
“You should not die senselessly on someone else's land. There is no need to repeat the fate of hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who will never return home! Surrender in captivity! Ukraine will shelter, feed and warm you,” staff from Ukraine's prisoner of war (POW) hotline said in a video statement in Korean on Wednesday.
“Thousands of Russian soldiers made the right choice and are now waiting for the end of the war in good conditions: comfortable barracks, hot meals, medical care. No matter how many soldiers Pyongyang sends to help Russia, no matter in what direction — Ukrainian POW camps are ready to accept soldiers of any nationality, religion and ideological views. Contacts of our project are unchanged,” the POW staff added.
NATO on Monday asked South Korea to send a delegation to brief it on reports that Pyongyang was sending troops to Russia.
The first unverified videos of North Korean soldiers at a military base in Russia were published Friday by pro-Kremlin military bloggers on Telegram.
But the Kremlin has previously called the footage of North Korean soldiers "fake news." Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said the Americans and South Koreans were providing "contradictory information" about Russia's use of Pyongyang's soldiers.
Last week, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said the North had already begun deploying four brigades totaling 12,000 troops, including special forces, for the war in Ukraine, with 1,500 special forces already in Russia.
According to the head of Kyiv's Defense Intelligence Directorate, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the North Korean troops currently being trained in Russia "will be ready on Nov. 1," and the troops will use Russian equipment and ammunition.
Budanov added that the first cadre of 2,600 troops will go to Kursk in Russia, where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion in late summer, but it is unclear where the remaining North Korean troops will be stationed.
In June, Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that commits both countries to provide military assistance to each other if either is attacked.
"The DPRK is our close neighbor, our partner, and we are developing our relations in all areas, and this is our sovereign right. This should not cause any concerns for anyone, because this cooperation is not directed against third countries. We will continue to develop this cooperation," Peskov said Monday.
This story has been updated.
