 "North Korea admits deploying troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine war for first time")
As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate, North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to fight in the conflict under the orders of the country’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un. On Monday, North Korea’s ruling party was reported to be boasting about the “end of the battle in Russia’s Kursk region.”
“The end of the battle in Russia’s Kursk region showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship between North Korea and Russia,” the KCNA state news agency cited the ruling party as saying. The remarks from Pyongyang came a week after Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the Russian village which was infiltrated last year.
However, Kyiv denied the claim and said that the troops are still operating in Belgorod and other Russian territories bordering Ukraine. On Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Moscow is falsely claiming that Kursk has been “liberated”. “Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” he said in his evening address. In a previous statement, he did mention that the situation remains difficult for the Ukrainian troops.
It was Kim’s call
According to the KCNA, the Central Military Commission of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party said that Kim decided to deploy North Korean troops in the Russian territory under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty he signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2024.
“Under the order of the head of state, the sub-units of the armed forces of the Republic regarded the territory of Russia as one of their countries and proved the firm alliance between the two countries,” KCNA cited the commission as saying. “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” the North Korean news outlet quoted Kim saying.
In the past, Ukrainian officials have said that North Korea has sent a total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements, to replace its losses. They noted that these troops experienced heavy casualties in the battle because they lacked armoured vehicles and drone warfare experience.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMeanwhile, it was Russia that confirmed for the first time on Saturday that North Korean soldiers have been fighting alongside Russians in Kursk. This came as a shock, since both the nations have remained quiet about the deployments. While reacting to the confirmation from both sides, the US State Department said it was concerned by North Korea’s direct involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine and that Pyongyang’s military deployment for Russia must end.
“We continue to be concerned by (North Korea’s) direct involvement in the war. (North Korea’s) military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to (North Korea) in return must end,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email, adding third countries like North Korea “bear responsibility” for the war.
With inputs from Reuters.
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