Reports by Ukrainian media have suggested that North Korean deserter soldiers have been captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region — a claim that, if substantiated, could mark a turning point in the war.
The reports came even though NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin both said on October 19 that they could not confirm a North Korean military presence in Ukraine.
In light of these reports on October 21, Rutte warned that North Korean troops in Russia would likely lead to a significant escalation of the conflict.
I spoke with @President_KR about #NATO’s close partnership w/ Seoul, defence industrial cooperation, and the interconnected security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. #NorthKorea sending troops to fight alongside #Russia in #Ukraine would mark a significant escalation.
— Mark Rutte (@SecGenNATO) October 21, 2024
The speculation about North Korean involvement followed comments by Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, who claimed that 11,000 North Korean troops could be ready to join the fight by November 1.
That was reportedly confirmed by South Korea’s spy agency on October 18, which stated that 1,500 North Korean special forces had already been sent to Russia’s far east for training and would likely be deployed in Ukraine.
Following the media reports, Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called for the European Union to reconsider the idea of deploying European forces in Ukraine, an idea put on the table by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.
“At the beginning of the year, Emmanuel Macron hinted at putting boots on the ground. At the end of the year, North Korea actually did it. We are still on the back foot, reacting to escalation instead of reversing it. Macron’s ideas should now be revisited, better late than never,” Landsbergis remarked on October 20.
At the beginning of the year @EmmanuelMacron hinted at putting boots on the ground. At the end of the year North Korea actually did it. We are still on the back foot, reacting to escalation instead of reversing it. Macron's ideas should now be revisited, better late than never.
— Gabrielius Landsbergis🇱🇹 (@GLandsbergis) October 20, 2024
On October 21, Moscow dismissed enquiries regarding whether North Korean troops would be deployed to fight in Ukraine, stating instead that it was Moscow’s sovereign right to strengthen ties with the East Asian country across all areas.
Earlier in October, Moscow had denied military co-operation with its allies in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
“This looks like another bit of fake news,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on October 10.
Russia’s ambassador to South Korea, Georgy Zinoviev, insisted on October 21 that any collaboration between Russia and North Korea would be in line with international law and not aimed at undermining South Korea’s security.
Western governments have accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia.
