NATO chief confirms presence of North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk

“The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” Rutte told reporters after NATO officials received a briefing from a South Korean delegation.

The newly stationed soldiers are likely to be from the Special Operations Force—North Korean army’s most diligent group as per the Atlantic.

What is North Korea doing doing at Russia border?

After the Ukrainian military captured parts of Kursk in August, South Korea and Ukraine claimed that the North Korean forces are being sent to retake the region in western Russia, as per the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Rutte said the North Korean deployment represented “a significant escalation” of Pyongyang’s involvement in “Russia’s illegal war”.

The NATO chief further said that it was a breach of the UN Security Council resolutions and a “dangerous expansion” of the war.

“Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war and he is unable to sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support,” Rutte added.

What does Russia have to say?

While the Kremlin has dismissed reports about a North Korean troop deployment while calling it “fake news”, Putin on Thursday did not deny the development. The Russian President said that it was Moscow’s internal business to implement a partnership treaty with Pyongyang. Meanwhile, a North Korean representative to the UN in New York called the reports “groundless rumours.”

With inputs from Reuters

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