NATO Secretary General Confirms North Korean Troop Deployment in Russia’s Kursk Region

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the involvement of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to him, military units from the DPRK  are currently deployed in Russia’s Kursk region.

Rutte stated that at a briefing on October 28, the correspondent of Suspilne reports.

"Today I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean units have been deployed in the Kursk region. The deployment of troops from the DPRK is a significant escalation in the case against this country, regarding its long-term participation in Russia's illegal war, and this is another violation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the dangerous expansion of the war waged by the Russian Federation," said Rutte.

NATO Secretary General had earlier warned that “sending North Korean troops to fight side by side with Russia in Ukraine would mean a significant escalation.”

On October 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referenced intelligence reports indicating North Korea’s de facto involvement in the ongoing war, after reports had emerged indicating that more than 20 soldiers were killed near Donetsk due to a missile strike on October 3, including six North Korean officers.

US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, stated on October 23 in Rome that there is evidence of North Korean troops in Russia, marking the first public confirmation from the US in response to multiple reports from Ukraine and South Korea.