U.S. confirms North Korean military begins participation in Ukraine War

Russian troops firing at Ukrainian positions. Yonhap News
The U.S. government confirmed on the 12th (local time) that North Korea’s military began fighting in Ukraine.

Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said in a briefing that day, “North Korean soldiers have begun participating in the battle against the Ukrainian military.”

He added, “More than 10,000 North Korean soldiers were dispatched to eastern Russia, and most of them moved to Kursk in western Russia and were deployed in combat operations with the Russian army.”

“The Russian military has trained North Korean troops in critical skills for frontline operations such as artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, basic infantry operations, and trench building,” Patel said. “However, whether Russia can successfully integrate North Korean forces depends on interoperability, “Success depends on several challenges such as language barriers, command and control and communications,” he said.

He added, “The United States is closely consulting with other countries in the region on this situation,” and added, “We are continuing to strengthen security support for Ukraine under President Biden’s instructions.”

Previously, the U.S. State Department stated on the 4th, “We believe that 10,000 North Korean soldiers went to Kursk, and we cannot say for sure whether they will participate in the battle.”

At the time, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller warned, “As the U.S. government has repeatedly stated, if North Korean troops engage in combat against Ukrainian forces, they will become legitimate military targets.”

Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, also said about the nature of the North Korean military deployment, “It is probably a fair analysis to say that they are potential troops brought in to replace the enormous losses suffered by Russia.”

Meanwhile, CNN reported on the 10th, citing Ukrainian and American sources, that “Russia has summoned about 50,000 troops, including North Korean troops, to recapture the mainland Kursk region, which is partially controlled by the Ukrainian military.”

In response, Deputy State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “We will respect the assessment provided by the Ukrainian side, but the information we can confirm is that more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been dispatched to Russia.”

Kursk in western Russia is currently the site of fierce fighting between Ukraine and Russia, and the Ukrainian military, which had focused on defense since the start of the war, has been attacking the Kursk region, inside mainland Russia, since last August.