In a significant announcement, North Korea has officially admitted to deploying its troops to Russia to support the ongoing war against Ukraine. This is the first public acknowledgment after months of international speculation and accusations from South Korea, the United States, and Ukraine.
North Korean Troops Deployed Under Defense Agreement
According to a statement released by the Central Military Commission of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, leader Kim Jong-un authorized the troop deployment under the countries’ mutual defense pact. The statement, published through state-run media, praised the soldiers as “heroes” who have defended the “honor of the motherland.”
State media further claimed that the North Korean forces contributed significantly to liberating areas of Russian territory previously seized by Ukrainian forces.
Russia Confirms North Korea’s Role in Military Operations
This confirmation aligns with recent reports from Russia’s military leadership. Over the weekend, Russia announced it had regained full control over the Kursk region, an area that had briefly fallen to a Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2024.
General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, revealed that North Korean troops fought alongside Russian soldiers during key defensive operations. He praised their “professionalism, endurance, bravery, and heroism” in resisting Ukrainian forces.
Background: Allegations and Global Reactions
Reports from late 2024 suggested that 10,000 to 12,000 North Korean soldiers had been deployed to Russia. At the time, Pyongyang and Moscow avoided confirming the claims, maintaining that any military cooperation strictly complied with international legal standards.
The official acknowledgment from North Korea now marks a turning point, intensifying the geopolitical tensions surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war and raising concerns among Western nations about expanding military alliances.