U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) stated that there is evidence indicating North Korea has deployed troops to Russia. South Korea’s spy chief informed lawmakers that 3,000 North Korean troops are currently in South Korea undergoing training on drones and other equipment before being sent to the battlefields in Ukraine.
Mr. Austin informed reporters that the exact activities of the troops are yet to be determined. He mentioned, “What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out,” as per a video shared by the Washington Post.
If these troops end up joining the conflict in Ukraine on Russia’s side, Mr. Austin emphasized that it would pose a very serious issue with implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
Reports initially surfaced from South Korean intelligence claiming that the Russian navy had transported 1,500 North Korean special warfare troops to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had also previously stated that his government had intelligence regarding 10,000 North Korean soldiers being readied to support the invading Russian forces.
While the U.S. and NATO had not formally verified the dispatch of North Korean troops, they have expressed concerns about the potential risks if such reports are accurate. Both Russia and North Korea have denied these troop movements thus far.
Published – October 23, 2024 05:29 pm IST
