Russia Confirms, Praises Presence Of North Korean Troops In Ukraine

Russia over the weekend formally acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops on the front lines in Ukraine, even as US President Donald Trump intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire while expressing fresh doubts about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s seriousness regarding a truce, NBC News reported. 

On Saturday, Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov confirmed the “liberation” of Kursk Oblast and praised the “significant assistance” provided by North Korean forces under a “comprehensive, strategic partnership” agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang.  

Gerasimov highlighted the “fortitude and heroism” of North Korean soldiers in defeating Ukrainian troops and helping Russian forces reclaim control of the Kursk region. 

However, Ukrainian officials disputed Russia’s claim, saying their forces remained active and had successfully resisted a complete encirclement, Politico noted. 

In August, Ukrainian forces launched their offensive into the Russian region, seeking to pressure Moscow by forcing troop redeployments from the heavily contested Sumy and Donbas fronts in Ukraine. 

Estimates from South Korean and Ukrainian officials suggested that as many as 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to western Russia. South Korean intelligence previously reported that North Korea had sent an additional 3,000 troops to Russia between January and February after sustaining heavy casualties.  

North Korea, on Monday, called its soldiers fighting for Russia, “heroes,” reported the Guardian. 

The acknowledgment of North Korea’s involvement comes as Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met briefly Saturday in Vatican City while attending the funeral of Pope Francis – their first in-person encounter since February’s heated White House meeting. 

While both sides described the conversation as “very productive,” Trump later expressed skepticism over prospects for a near-term peace deal, the Associated Press added. 

In a social media post, the US president said recent Russian missile strikes suggested “maybe (Putin) doesn’t want to stop the war,” despite earlier optimism that a ceasefire agreement was close.