US Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that a small number of North Korean soldiers are currently in the Kursk region on Russia’s western front. Ryder stated that there are signs that these soldiers will be used in some kind of infantry role.
While news that North Korea is sending soldiers to Russia to fight against Ukraine remains fresh on the agenda, the US government has made a new statement on the subject.
Speaking at a routine press conference, US Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that a small number of soldiers sent by North Korea are currently in the Kursk region on Russia’s western front. “The findings suggest that there are a small number of North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast and that several thousand more are almost there or will be there soon,” Ryder said. “The remaining troops are currently training in the east, but we expect them to move in that direction (Kursk Oblast) at some point.” “IT IS NOT YET CLEAR HOW THE SOLDIERS WILL BE USED” Refusing to make definitive comments on what kind of combat capability the North Korean troops will provide Russia, Ryder stated that there are indications that these troops will be used “in some kind of infantry role.” “We are concerned that they intend to use these forces in combat against the Ukrainians or at least to support combat operations against the Ukrainians in the Kursk region,” Ryder said, adding, “As of now, it is not yet clear exactly how the Russians and North Koreans will use these forces.”
“UKRAINE COULD USE US WEAPONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA” When asked whether Ukrainian forces could use weapons provided by the US against North Korean troops, Ryder emphasized that the weapons provided by the US and other international partners “are Ukrainian weapons and capabilities.” “We are very clear that Ukraine can use these capabilities to defend its own sovereignty against threats that may come from across its border or from Ukrainian territory,” Ryder said, adding that the US is closely monitoring whether North Korean troops plan to enter Ukraine. Ryder added that receiving military support from a foreign country raises “some serious questions” about Russia’s ability to meet its personnel needs. ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS SIGNAL FROM THE US US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Russia’s training of North Korean soldiers violates numerous UN Security Council resolutions, saying, “We believe that Russia’s training of North Korean soldiers involving weapons or related materials is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions 1718, 1874 and 2270.” Reminding that the US has the ability to impose sanctions on Russia and North Korea, Miller warned, “We have demonstrated in the past that we are willing to use this ability and authority. We will continue to do so when the time is appropriate.”
