NATO Confirms North Korean Military Deployment in Russia

23 October, 2024 North Korean (DPRK) military. Photo: Getty Images NATO and the United States have obtained evidence of North Korean military deployments in Russia, according to a statement from NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah.

The statement was provided to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday at NATO headquarters. "Allies have confirmed evidence of the deployment of DPRK troops in Russia. If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it will mean a significant escalation of North Korea's support for Russia's illegal war and another sign of Russia's significant losses on the front line," reads the statement.

The representative of the alliance added that the allies are actively consulting on this issue, and representatives of South Korea will provide the information at their disposal to the North Atlantic Council with further discussion of this issue. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also stated on Wednesday that there is evidence that North Korea has sent its troops to Russia.

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Brussels, June 15, 2022. Frame from the video

South Korea's intelligence chief told lawmakers that there are 3,000 North Korean military personnel in the country who were trained to use drones and other equipment before being sent to Ukraine.

The United States and NATO have not yet officially confirmed reports of North Korea's troop deployment, but have warned of the danger of such a development if true. Also, Ukraine recently recorded the movement of North Korean troops from a training base in the Far East deep into Russian territory. Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, stated this.

He added that Russia initially plans to use Koreans during the fighting in the Kursk oblast.

Illustrative photo on the topic: DPRK / North Korea

"There is a movement of DPRK troops from the Russian Far East into Russia.

Let me remind you that Russia plans to use the Koreans to begin with in the Kursk region," he said.

North Korea is sending its troops to Russia to further participate in the war against Ukraine in exchange for money and nuclear technology.