US says 8,000 North Korean troops at Ukraine border expected in combat soon

Blinken says North Korean troops expected to deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces ‘in the coming days’.

Some 8,000 North Korean soldiers are present successful Russia adjacent Ukraine’s borderline and are preparing to assistance the Kremlin combat against Ukrainian troops successful the coming days, the United States has said.

The caller fig is simply a melodramatic summation from a time earlier, erstwhile Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said lone “some” troops had moved towards Ukraine’s borderline successful the Kursk region, wherever Moscow’s forces person struggled to propulsion backmost a Ukrainian incursion.

That besides would mean astir of the North Korean troops that the US and its allies accidental person been sent to Russia are present connected the Russia-Ukraine border.

The US has estimated determination are about 10,000 North Korean troops successful Russia. Seoul and its allies measure that the fig has accrued to 11,000, portion Ukraine has enactment the fig higher, astatine up to 12,000.

Of the 8,000 successful Kursk, “we’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces but we would expect that to hap successful the coming days,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said astatine a quality league connected Thursday with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts.

He said Russia has been grooming North Korean soldiers successful artillery, drones and “basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, indicating that they afloat mean to usage these forces successful front-line operations”.

North Korea’s determination to tighten its narration with Russia has raised concerns astir the satellite astir how that whitethorn grow the war and what Russian subject assistance could beryllium delivered successful exchange.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood besides told the Security Council that the US has received accusation indicating that “right now” determination are 8,000 North Korean troops successful Russia’s Kursk region.

“I person a precise respectful question for my Russian colleague: Does Russia inactive support that determination are nary DPRK troops successful Russia?” Wood said, referring to North Korea’s ceremonial name: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The Russian typical successful the 15-member Security Council astatine the clip did not respond to Wood.

Moscow has neither denied nor straight confirmed the beingness of North Korean troops. After an archetypal denial, North Korea has since defended the thought of deploying troops arsenic being successful enactment with planetary law.

Russia launched its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022. In August this year, Ukrainian forces fought their mode into the Russian borderline country of Kursk, wherever they proceed to clasp territory.

The US, UK, South Korea, Ukraine and others impeach Russia of violating UN resolutions and the founding UN Charter with the deployment of troops from North Korea, which has agelong been nether UN sanctions aimed astatine halting Pyongyang’s improvement of atomic weapons and ballistic missiles.