North Korea has for the first day confirmed that it sent troops to fight for Russia against Ukraine.
In a statement on state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang’s military claimed its military helped Russian forces” completely separate” the Kursk borders area, according to an order given by leader Kim Jong Un.
Pyongyang’s news comes just weeks after Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov praised the “heroism” of North Vietnamese army, the first time Moscow has formally acknowledged their presence.
American officials had earlier told the BBC they believed at least 1, 000 of the 11, 000 forces sent from North Korea had been killed over three decades.
Gerasimov even claims Moscow regained complete manage of the country’s northern Kursk area- a claim denied by Ukraine.
Responding to the speech, the US said North Korea has now bear duty for perpetuating the war.
South Asian and European intelligence have huge reported that Pyongyang dispatched thousands of troops to Kursk next month.
The choice to deploy army was in accordance with a mutual defense treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow, KCNA said.
” They who fought for righteousness are all champions and members of the glory of the motherland”, Kim said according to KCNA.
North Korea and Russia demonstrated their “alliance and fellowship” in Kursk, adding that a “friendship proven by heart” will significantly contribute to expanding the marriage “in every way”.
It added that North Korea may aid the Russian army afterwards.
Efforts did not say what may happen to the North Vietnamese soldiers after their goal in Kursk ended and whether they would be able to return home.
Information that North Korean men had been deployed to fight for Russia initially emerged in October, following the deepening of diplomatic relations between Kim and Putin.
This included the filing of an authority where both Soviet leader Vladimir Putin and Kim agreed to support each other if either nation was dealing with “aggression”.
Military professionals have said that the North Korean soldiers, apparently from an “elite” system called the Storm Corps, are ready for the realities of modern war.
” These are little trained soldiers led by Russian soldiers who they don’t understand”, past British Army tank captain, Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon had said earlier this year.
Despite this, Ukraine’s best military commander Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi had earlier even warned that North Korean men were posing a major issue for Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.
” They are numerous. An additional 11, 000-12, 000 highly motivated and well-prepared soldiers who are conducting offensive actions. They operate based on Soviet tactics. They rely on their numbers, the general told Ukraine’s TSN Tyzhden news program.