North Korea Confirms Military Support in Ukraine Conflict Amid Russian Acknowledgment

In a significant development, North Korea has officially acknowledged the deployment of its soldiers to aid Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This announcement marks the first time the North Korean government has confirmed its military involvement in the war, previously kept under wraps.

The North Korean military leadership, via the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), stated that the operations aimed at liberating the Kursk region have been successfully concluded. The directive for this military action reportedly came from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who made the decision as part of a strategic agreement with Russia.

On the Russian side, military officials have also confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine, a fact that had previously been neither confirmed nor denied by either nation. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude towards the North Korean soldiers, acknowledging their contribution to the reclamation of Kursk territory. He emphasized that their deployment was sanctioned under a bilateral partnership agreement and asserted that it complied with international law.

Putin remarked that the North Korean forces acted out of solidarity and camaraderie, reinforcing the ties between the two nations. He pledged that Russia would honor the memory of any North Korean soldiers who lost their lives during the conflict, although he did not clarify whether the deployment of these troops had concluded.

According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea had dispatched approximately 11,000 soldiers to assist Russian forces in the fall of the previous year, primarily focusing on areas surrounding the Russian-occupied regions in Kursk. Reports suggest that an additional 3,000 troops were sent earlier this year. South Korean military sources estimate that North Korean forces have suffered around 4,000 casualties, which include both injuries and fatalities.

In addition to troop deployments, North Korea has been supplying Russia with a substantial amount of military equipment, including short-range missiles, howitzers, and rocket launchers, as reported by South Korean military officials.

The United States has expressed concern regarding North Korea's direct involvement in the conflict, reiterating the need for both North Korea and Russia to cease military cooperation. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department emphasized the potential ramifications of such actions and the importance of adhering to international norms.