NATO Confirms Deployment of North Korean Troops in Support of Russia

NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, confirmed on Monday the deployment of North Korean troops in the Russian region of Kursk, supporting Moscow in the war in Ukraine. After meeting with a delegation from South Korea's Intelligence services, Rutte detailed that Kim Jong Un's regime has sent "military units" to Russian territory, marking "a significant escalation" of the country's involvement in "the illegal war" initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The political leader of the Alliance highlighted that Pyongyang's move is also "a dangerous expansion" of the war in Ukraine, urging the country to "cease" these actions immediately. NATO has not detailed the number of North Korean troops deployed in Kursk, but just a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were in the occupied territory of Donbas, ready to enter Ukraine. "This is the first step towards the start of a world war," he warned.

The intervention of North Korean troops in Ukraine would be the first intervention by a third country in the conflict since the war began in the country in February 2022. So far, Iran has provided the Russian army with drones and military equipment; and China has been another partner of Moscow's military industry, however, neither of these two countries has sent troops to the country.