According to a recent Pentagon assessment, North Korean troops are fighting and dying alongside Russian forces as part of Moscow's war against Ukraine.
"North Korean soldiers are engaged in combat in Kursk, alongside Russian forces," Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday. "We have information that there have been killed and wounded among their ranks," spokesman Ryder said, adding that the participation of North Korean troops in the war is currently "limited to Kursk", a region in Russia. The Pentagon did not provide further details on casualties among North Korean troops.
VOA reached out to the Russian embassy in Washington, which did not respond to a request for comment as of this writing. A Kremlin spokesman referred questions about the Pentagon's assessment to Russia's defense ministry, which also has yet to make a statement.
US military and intelligence officials have previously said Pyongyang has sent about 12,000 soldiers to Russia to train with Russian forces in anticipation of joining Moscow's war against Ukraine. But the United States said that just last week, North Korean troops became part of Russian combat operations.
US confirmation that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine came hours after Ukraine's spy agency said at least 30 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in fighting in several villages in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday accused Russia of using "a significant number of North Korean soldiers in its attacks" , calling North Korea's losses "obvious".
On Monday, he claimed that Moscow has tried to hide losses among North Korean troops.
"Preliminary data suggests that the Russians are trying to hide North Korean losses," Mr. Zelenskyy said, adding, "There is no single reason for North Koreans to die in this war."
The Pentagon said Monday that Ukraine has its full support in targeting North Korean troops.
"As we have said all along, [North Korean] forces are legitimate military targets for the Ukrainians, given that they are engaged in active combat operations," spokesman Ryder said.
Earlier on Monday, the United States and key allies issued a statement condemning Pyongyang's growing involvement in the war as a "dangerous expansion" of the conflict.
US State Department officials also warned Moscow and Pyongyang about sending North Korean troops to Ukraine.
"If they were to cross the border and enter Ukraine, that would be another escalation," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in response to a question from VOA.
Meanwhile, Norway announced on Monday a new military aid in the amount of 242 million dollars for Ukraine./VOA (A2 Televizion)
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