State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced during a briefing on 7 November that the United States is consulting with allies regarding North Korean troop deployment in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Ukrainian intelligence reported in October that approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers were currently training in eastern Russia for potential combat operations against Ukraine. South Korean intelligence has confirmed Russia’s preparation of North Korean special forces for deployment in Ukraine.
CNN reported on 29 October, citing two Western intelligence officials, that a small contingent of North Korean military personnel is already present in Ukraine, with numbers expected to increase.
The Washington Post reported that Putin’s regime will offer Kim Jong Un financial compensation, military technology, and international attention in exchange for military support.
The spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the response to Russian aggression against Ukraine extends beyond unilateral US action, noting it represents “a response we’ve organized on behalf of more than 50 countries.”
“We are consulting with our allies and partners about the appropriate response to the deployment of North Korean soldiers inside Kursk to engage in combat with potentially – or I should say against Ukrainian soldiers, but I don’t have any announcements to make today,” Miller said.
US Congressman Mike Turner said that the US and NATO should allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia in response to North Korean troop deployment.
The Pentagon announced on 28 October that Ukraine would face no new restrictions on using US-supplied weapons against North Korean forces should they engage in combat operations against Ukrainian troops
Except for soldiers, North Korea has supplied Moscow with at least 11,000 containers of ammunition, including approximately two million artillery rounds since 2023.
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