US says evidence shows North Korea has troops in Russia, possibly for Ukraine war

The Manila Times

US says evidence shows North Korea has troops in Russia, possibly for Ukraine war  The United States said for the first time on Wednesday, October 23, that it had seen evidence of North Korean troops in Russia.  The United States has assessed that at least 3,000 North Korean troops were transported by ship to the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok in early-to-mid October.  The Kremlin has previously dismissed Seoul's claims about the North's troop deployment as "fake news" and a North Korean representative to the United Nations in New York called it "groundless rumors" at a meeting on Monday.  Both Moscow and Pyongyang have also denied weapons transfers, but they have pledged to boost military ties and signed a mutual defense treaty at a summit in June.  REUTERS VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe    Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #tmtnews  #northkorea  #russia  #russiaukrainewar

Transcript

00:00I think as you have all heard earlier this morning, we have seen the public reporting

00:03indicating that North Korean soldiers are traveling to Russia to fight against Ukraine.

00:08We're working closely with our allies and partners to gain a full understanding of this

00:12situation.

00:13But today, I'm prepared to share what we know at this stage.

00:17We assess that between early to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers

00:23into eastern Russia.

00:25We assess that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Womsan area in North Korea to

00:30Vladivostok, Russia.

00:33These soldiers then traveled onward to multiple Russian military training sites in eastern

00:37Russia, where they are currently undergoing training.

00:42We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian

00:46military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability.

00:53After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage

00:58in combat against the Ukrainian military.

01:02We have briefed the Ukrainian Government on our understanding of this situation, and we're

01:05certainly consulting closely with other allies, partners, and countries in the region on the

01:10implications of such a dramatic move and on how we might respond.

01:16But let's be clear.

01:18If North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development would demonstrate Russia's

01:22growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.

01:26Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every single day, but President

01:31Putin appears intent on continuing this war.

01:35If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of

01:39weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin.

01:42It would also demonstrate an unprecedented level of direct military cooperation between

01:47Russia and North Korea, with security implications in Europe as well as the Indo-Pacific.

01:53As we have said before, Russia's cooperation with the North Korean military is in violation

01:58of multiple UN Security Council resolutions which prohibit the procurement of arms from

02:03North Korea and military arms training.

02:07This move is likewise a violation.

02:10The United States is on track to provide Ukraine with hundreds of additional air defense interceptors,

02:15dozens of tactical air defense systems, additional artillery, significant quantities of ammunition,

02:20hundreds of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, and thousands

02:25of additional armored vehicles, all of which will help keep Ukraine effective on the battlefield.

02:31And in coming days, the United States will announce a significant sanctions tranche targeting

02:35the enablers of Russia's war in Ukraine located outside of Russia.

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