For the first time on Monday, North Korea confirmed that troops were deployed to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine, several media outlets reported.
The decision, which was made on the orders of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reportedly contributed to the liberation of Ukraine’s occupied Russian territory, state media claimed.
On Saturday, Russia announced that all Ukrainian troops had been removed from the Kursk region. Moscow lost control last year, shocking the Ukraine invasion.
Valerie Gerasimov, the Russian military’s general chief of staff, confirmed that North Korean soldiers fought against Ukrainian forces in the region.
Gerasimov said he “followed himself in combat missions alongside Russian soldiers during the repelling of the Ukrainian invasion,” and said he “submitted high professionalism and demonstrated abuse, courage and heroism in the battle.”
In the fall, Ukraine, the US and South Korea all said that North Korea, which previously supplied arms to Moscow, had deployed troops of 10,000 to 12,000 men to Russia to fight in Kursk.
Moscow and Pyongyang have previously emphasized that military cooperation is compliant with international law, rather than directly acknowledging the existence of North Korean forces in Russia.
This is a developing story and our journalists are working to bring you the latest updates.
