North Korean troops bolster Russian forces in Ukraine conflict
I confirm that North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia and deployed in the Kursk region, said the head of NATO.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte informed that the Alliance has confirmed that North Korean troops entered the Russian Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
NATO: significant escalation
Speaking in Brussels, Rutte called this move a "significant escalation" of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and stated that it shows the "desperation" of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The head of NATO also informed that about 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in the war in Ukraine. - This is proof that Putin is unable to continue attacking Ukraine without foreign support, Rutte said.
Previously, European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said that North Korea sending soldiers to Russia to direct them to the war in Ukraine is a serious violation of international law, including the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.
She admitted that the European Commission is concerned about reports of North Korea sending troops and is monitoring the situation closely.
North Korean soldiers in Russia
Massrali also referred to the statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who said on Thursday that if reports of sending soldiers to war against Ukraine are true, it would be a "unilateral hostile act by North Korea, which would have serious consequences for European and global peace and security." Borrell added that these events once again show how Russia fuels instability and contributes to escalation in the region and worldwide.
Soldiers from the north were supposed to reach the front on Sunday or Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing intelligence data, provided such information on Friday. According to the South Korean intelligence agency NIS, Kim Jong Un's regime sent about 12,000 troops to Russia.
