The US Department of Defense ‘Pentagon’ said it “cannot confirm” reports that North Korean troops engaged in their first clashes in the Kursk region of Russia.
According to the Pentagon, “We believe there are currently at least 10,000 North Korean troops in Kursk. We recognize that these numbers could increase slightly in terms of the total number of North Korean troops in Russia as we continue to assess North Korea’s presence on the ground,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told a news conference.
“We are looking into it but cannot confirm these reports,” Ryder said, referring to reports that North Korean soldiers had engaged in their first clashes in the Kursk region of Russia.
Ryder said the Pentagon believes the total number of North Korean forces in Russia could be around 11,000 to 12,000, but he would not speculate on whether North Korea would send additional forces.
Ryder said those troops would become “legitimate military targets” if they participated in combat support operations against Ukraine.
Asked whether North Korean forces had Russian uniforms and equipment, Ryder said: “As far as I understand, all of these forces are using Russian uniforms and equipment.”
Ryder’s comments follow statements by Andrey Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Combating Disinformation, who claimed that Ukrainian forces engaged in the first known clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk.
On the other hand, the South Korean Ministry of Defense announced this morning that a “significant” portion of the approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia have been sent to frontline areas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to North Korea in June, and a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement” was signed between the parties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy announced on October 25 that they had learned that Russia would deploy North Korean troops to the first combat zones on October 27-28.
The US has claimed that there are around 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, 8,000 of whom are stationed in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border.
