For the first time, North Korea has acknowledged sending troops to fight against Ukraine on behalf of Russia.
Pyongyang’s military said its troops assisted Russian forces in “completely liberating” the Kursk border region, citing an order from leader Kim Jong Un, in a report on state news agency KCNA.
Days before, Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov hailed the “heroism” of North Korean troops—the first time Moscow has openly admitted its role—and Pyongyang made its announcement.
Western officials had earlier told the BBC that they believed at least 1,000 of North Korea’s 11,000 sent troops had been killed in the three months. Western officials had earlier told the BBC that they believed at least 1,000 of North Korea’s 11,000 sent troops had been killed in the three months.
Additionally, Gerasimov asserts that Moscow has retaken complete control of the western Kursk region of the country, a claim that Ukraine disputes.
The US responded to the statement by saying that North Korea is now accountable for continuing the conflict.
Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Kursk last year, according to intelligence from South Korea and the West.
According to KCNA, Pyongyang and Moscow agreed to a mutual defense treaty when they decided to send troops.
According to KCNA, Kim declared, “Those who battled for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland.”
By demonstrating their “alliance and brotherhood” in Kursk, North Korea and Russia said that a “friendship proven by blood” will significantly aid in the expansion of their relationship “in every way.”
North Korea would once more back the Russian army, it added.
KCNA did not specify whether the North Korean troops would be allowed to return home or what would happen to them once their mission in Kursk was over. whether the North Korean soldiers would be able to return home after their mission in Kursk was over.
In October, as Kim and Putin’s bilateral ties grew closer, reports surfaced that North Korean troops had been sent to fight for Russia.
Kim and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, among other things, signed a deal promising to support each other if either country faced “aggression.”
Military analysts claim that the North Korean soldiers, who are allegedly from an “elite” unit called the Storm Corps, are not prepared to face the challenges of modern warfare.
Col. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former tank commander in the British Army, had said earlier this year, “These are barely trained troops led by Russian officers who they do not understand.”
However, Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, had warned earlier that North Korean soldiers posed a significant threat to Ukrainian fighters on the front lines.
“They are numerous. There are another 11,000 to 12,000 soldiers conducting offensive operations; they are well-prepared and very motivated. Soviet strategies serve as the basis for their tactics. “They depend on their numbers,” the general said on Ukraine’s TSN Tyzhden news program.
