US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Thursday revealed that approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers are currently in Russia, with around 8,000 deployed in the Kursk region.
He further said that while these troops have not yet been engaged in combat against Ukrainian forces, he anticipates their involvement in the coming days.
The remarks by Blinken came during a press conference with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III, Republic of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, and Republic of Korea Minister of Defence Kim Yong-hyun on Thursday.
Blinken said, “We now assess that there are some 10,000 North Korean soldiers in total in Russia. And recent information indicates that as many as 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed in the Kursk region. We have not yet seen these troops deployed in the combat against Ukrainian forces but we expect that to happen in the coming days.”
He added, “Russia has been training Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) soldiers in artillery, UAVs, and basic infantry operations, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in front-line operations. Should these troops engage in combat or combat-support operations against Ukraine, they would become legitimate military.”
The US Secretary of State sharply criticised Russia, stating that President Vladimir Putin is “throwing Russians in a meat grinder” and is now turning towards North Korea which is a “clear sign of weakness.” He said, “One of the reasons that Russia is turning towards North Korean troops is that it is desperate. Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine and now he’s turning to North Korean troops and that is a clear sign of weakness.”
Blinken added, “Russia is suffering some 12,000 casualties a day and with the deployment of North Korean troops, this is the first time in 100 years that Russia has invited foreign troops into its country.”
Notably, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on October 28 confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, following reports from Ukrainian military intelligence that noted their presence in the Kursk border region, Al Jazeera had reported.
Blinken also condemned North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch and said, “One of the things that we emphasise today is reaffirmation of the United States’ ironclad commitment to security… That’s important in light of ongoing provocations coming from North Korea, including another ICBM launch just yesterday. We condemn it in the strongest words…”
Notably, Japan’s Defence Ministry reported that North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Thursday morning, suspected to be an ICBM-class weapon.
The missile, launched at 7:11 am local time, flew eastward from within North Korea’s interior before landing outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in waters approximately 200 kilometres west of Hokkaido’s Okushiri Island at 8:37 am, NHK World reported.
Japan’s Defence Minister Nakatani Gen stated that the missile’s flight duration of one hour and 26 minutes marks the longest-ever trajectory of a North Korean ballistic missile. He further noted that the missile travelled around 1,000 kilometres and reached a peak altitude of approximately 7,000 kilometres.
This launch marks North Korea’s 12th ballistic missile or suspected ballistic missile launch this year, and the first ICBM-class missile launch since December 2023.