Deployment of North Korean troops in Russia: growing international concern

The United States is expressing concern about the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia, estimated at 10,000 soldiers who are training in the east of the country, with a potential mobilization near Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on October 28 that this number could reach 12,000 soldiers, destined according to him to join the fighting in Ukraine. “Our intelligence shows that there are already 3,000 of them, and that this figure could quadruple shortly,” he said at a summit in Iceland with Nordic leaders.

The Pentagon, through its deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh, confirmed the deployment, citing a likely military impact near Ukraine in the coming weeks. US President Joe Biden described the mobilization as “very dangerous”, and also expressed his concerns to China, asking for its influence to mitigate the situation.

A “significant escalation” according to NATO

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned of this “significant escalation” from Brussels. He pointed to the confirmed presence of North Korean troops in Russia, near the Kursk region, and saw the use of foreign troops as a sign of “disarray” on Moscow’s part. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also emphasized the change represented by this first mob in Russia. She described this development as a “direct threat to world peace”.

A record advance for the Russian army in Ukraine

Meanwhile, the Russian army made its biggest territorial advance since March 2022. According to an AFP analysis of data from the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have advanced 478 km² on Ukrainian soil since the beginning of October, surpassing the gains recorded in August and September in the Pokrovsk region, notably in eastern Ukraine.