NATO Secretary General Rutte Confirms Presence of DPRK Troops in Russia and Their Involvement in War Against Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that according to the latest available information, North Korean military units are deployed in the Kursk region of Russia. He said this at a briefing on 28 October, Politico reports. 

Rutte said that in the morning, the South Korean delegation informed NATO, as well as Japan, Australia and New Zealand, that its services were aware of the presence of the DPRK military in Russia and their involvement in the war.

‘I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed in the Kursk region,’ Rutte told reporters shortly after meeting with a senior South Korean intelligence official.

According to the Secretary General, this is a significant escalation in Russia's criminal war against Ukraine. This is another violation of the UN Security Council Resolution.

Rutte, on behalf of NATO, called on Russia and the DPRK to ‘immediately cease these actions.’ He noted that deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.

The NATO Secretary General recalled that the DPRK had previously provided Russia with ammunition and ballistic missiles, and in return, Putin provided North Korea with military technology and other support to circumvent international sanctions.

Rutte stressed that in these circumstances, it is important for the democratic world to join forces to protect common values. 

‘But at the same time, the involvement of the North Korean military in Kursk is a sign of Putin's growing desperation. More than 600,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Putin's war, and he cannot sustain his offensive against Ukraine without support from abroad... NATO Allies will continue to stand by a free and independent Ukraine, because Ukraine's security is our security,’ said Mark Rutte.

He added that later on Monday he would talk to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov in the context of these events.

Earlier, The New York Times reported, citing officials, that several thousand North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia's Kursk region, where they are expected to take part in a future counter-offensive to dislodge Ukrainian troops. According to sources, these are soldiers of an elite unit of the Korean People's Army.