US intelligence Confirms North Korean Troops’ Deployment in Kursk – UN Secretary General Very Concerned

Russia Ukraine Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: 03 Nov 2024 – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concerned on Sunday about reports that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and at their possible deployment to the conflict zone of Ukraine.

“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,” said Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief’s spokesman.

The Pentagon acknowledged for the first time the presence of North Korean troops in Russian territory, while the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimated that around 3,000 soldiers have been sent by Pyongyang to the Russian Federation, where they would be receiving training to join Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

According to the US, if these North Korean soldiers “get involved in active combat operations within Ukraine, it would be destabilizing for the Indo-Pacific.” “Of course, that would have an impact on our allies, whether in Europe or in the Indo-Pacific.”

North Korea and Russia have not denied the troop deployment reports, with the grinding war in Ukraine still continuing more than two-and-a-half years.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the deployment of North Korean troops against Ukrainian forces could happen “in the coming days”.

On Sunday, Guterres said 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, while reiterating a call for “meaningful efforts” to end the war.

Zelenskyy Frustrated on Lack of West’s Response on North Korean Troops Deployed in Kursk Region

Western Media alleged that North Korea and Iran have emerged as Russia’s main backers in Ukraine, with both believed to be supplying Moscow with military hardware.

Pyongyang is widely believed to be offering military support in return for Russian nuclear technology.

Japan expressed “serious concern” on Friday over the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia for potential participation in the war in Ukraine, stating that this military cooperation “impacts the region’s security,” as reported by Efe.

“The government is closely monitoring the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia, including the possibility of these troops participating in the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” stated Yoshimasa Hayashi, the spokesperson for the Japanese government during a press conference.

Earlier at BRICS Summit , UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, where he reiterated his opposition to “the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law,” while calling for peace without referring to potential negotiations between the two countries, as reported by Efe.

The UN released a brief statement on the content of the meeting between Guterres and Putin, held at the end of the BRICS group summit, conducted behind closed doors and without supporting images.

South Korean TV Chosun, citing sources, had reported in June this year that  North Korea will send its engineering troops to the occupied territories of Ukraine to participate in “reconstruction works,”. Military construction and engineering forces will arrive in the seized part of Donetsk as early as July2024.

According to this report, North Korean forces were set to assist in rebuilding infrastructure in occupied Donetsk. Russia is expected to pay an annual US$115 million for 3-4 engineering brigades; North Korea has 10 such brigades.

“Russia appears to be pursuing a coalition of friendly states with historically warm ties to the Soviet Union, including North Korea and Vietnam, to form the basis of an alternative world order,” the Institute for the Study of War reports.

North Korean engineering support could free up Russian combat power for operations along the front line and support Russian efforts to expand military infrastructure and defensive fortifications in the occupied territories of Ukraine, the review says.

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