8,000 N. Korean sdiers in Kursk region could be deployed in combat soon – Blinken

This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday after a meeting in Washington with the defense and foreign ministers of the U.S. and South Korea, as reported by an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We now assess that there are some 10,000 North Korean sdiers in Russia, and recent information indicates that as many as 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to Kursk region," the head of U.S. diplomacy announced.

He noted that the United States has not yet seen evidence of North Korean military invvement in combat.

"However, we expect that to happen in the coming days," Blinken remarked.

He emphasized that Russians have been training the North Korean sdiers, including artillery erations, drone usage, and basic infantry erations, "indicating that they fully intend to use these forces front line erations."

Blinken stressed that if these tros participate in combat erations or support actions against Ukraine, "they will become legitimate military targets."

Read also: North Korea's military already in Donetsk – CCD

He also highlighted that one reason Russia sought assistance from North Korea was desperation: "Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into the meat grinder he’s created in Ukraine. Now he is turning to North Korean tros and that is a pure sign of weakness."

The U.S. Secretary of State pointed out that Russian losses in eastern Ukraine amount to about 1,200 military personnel daily — more than at any other time during the war. Furthermore, this marks the first time in 100 years that Russia has requested assistance from foreign tros.

As reported by Ukrinform, Ukrainian President Vodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday that Russia has officially confirmed the invvement of North Korean sdiers in its war against Ukraine at the intelligence level.