North Korea troops deployment in Russia would be 'very dangerous escalation' in Ukraine war, alarms UN's Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his concern about reports of North Korean troops being sent to Russia to fight Ukraine.

This comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed there are 10,000 North Korean troops already fighting in Russia, with around 8,000 in the Kursk region.

‘Very concerned’

“The Secretary-General is very concerned about reports of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea being sent to the Russian Federation, including their possible deployment to the conflict zone,” the UN chief’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Guterres, on Sunday, further said that such a deployment would be “a very dangerous escalation” of the war in Ukraine.

“Everything must be done to avoid any internationalisation of this conflict,” he said, as he reiterated a call for “meaningful efforts” to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

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North Korea vows to back Russia until it achieves victory over Ukraine

Pyongyang and Moscow have not denied the reports which suggested North Korean troops are stationed in Russia.

Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have been urging North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un to withdraw troops from Russia.

Amid all the developments, North Korea has vowed to help and support Russia until it achieves victory over Ukraine.

Last week, North Korea’s foreign minister Choe Son Hui, who was on her trip to Russia, said: “Our traditional, historically friendly relations, which have traveled the tested path of history, today… are rising to a new level of relations of invincible military comradeship."

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Russia bombs Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv

While the UN, the US and other western nations raised alarm over the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine to assist Moscow in its war, Russian forces, on Sunday, attacked Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv.

At least least five people were injured after Russian guided bomb struck a supermarket in Kharkiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Also Read: Russia attacks Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, with 'guided bomb': Governor

In his Telegram post, Governor Oleh said: “A Russian bomb hit a supermarket in Kharkiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, near the city centre."

With inputs from agencies.