North Korea confirms its involvement on Monday in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on Monday. This is the first time that Pyongyang acknowledges having sent troops on the ground to support Russia. A deployment intended to take over the Koursk region whose Ukrainian Forces had taken hold during an incursion a year ago.
Until Monday, North Korea had neither confirmed nor deny the deployments of troops in Russia.
According to American, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence services, North Korea has sent between 10,000 and 12,000 soldiers in Russia Last fall, which was his first participation in a major armed conflict since the Korean War of 1950-1953.
Neither North Korea nor Russia indicated the exact number of North Korean soldiers who finally went to Russia, or the number of victims they recorded. In March, the South Korean army estimated that around 4,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured on war fronts between Russia and Ukraine. The South Korean army also said at the time that North Korea had sent approximately 3,000 additional soldiers in Russia at the start of the year.
The announcement of North Korea comes two days after Russia said that its troops had Fully picked up the Koursk region. A statement denied by the Ukrainian authorities.
Russia thanks North Korea
A few hours after confirmation of North Korea, the Russian president Vladimir Poutine thanked the country, promising that these efforts would not be forgotten. In a statement published on the Kremlin website, President Putin praised the North Korean soldiers who, according to him, “Shoulder against shoulder with the Russian fighters, defended our homeland as if it were their own”.
“The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the Special Forces of the RPDC (acronym of the official name of North Korea, editor’s note). We will always honor the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, fighting alongside their Russian brothers in arms”, said the Russian head of state.
In addition to sending troops, North Korea has provided a large amount of weapons to Russia. South Korea and the United States fear that Russia will reward North Korea by transferring advanced armament technologies likely to strengthen its nuclear weapons program, as well as other forms of military and economic aid.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict in an impasse?
If it is confirmed, Russia’s victory in Koursk would deprive Ukraine an essential lever in the efforts made, under the aegis of the United States, to negotiate the end of a war that has lasted for more than three years.
Less confident than a few weeks ago, the American president Donald Trump said on Saturday that he doubted the will of Vladimir Putin to end the war.
