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No indication North Korean troops are moving into Ukraine, Pentagon says

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No indication North Korean troops are moving into Ukraine, Pentagon says
Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers gather as they prepare to pay their respects before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as part of celebrations marking the birthday of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, known as the 'Day of the Shining Star,' on Mansu hill in Pyongyang, North Korea on Feb. 16, 2019. (Ed Jones / AFP via Getty Images)

The United States does not have any indication that there is a presence of North Korean troops in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Nov. 25.

"What we're seeing is that (North Korean troops are) positioned around the Kursk region, not moving into Ukraine at the moment," Singh said during a press briefing.

The Pentagon's statement clarifies reports of approximately 11,000 North Korean troops amassing in Russia's Kursk Oblast, training alongside Russian troops in the fight against Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesperson said on Nov. 13 that some North Korean troops have already been deployed to fight together with Russian forces.

A source with Ukraine's General Staff also indicated to Reuters on Nov. 23 that the majority of North Korean soldiers were finalizing training.

In recent months, Russia has focused on regaining territory lost in the country's Kursk Oblast following a surprise Ukrainian incursion into the region in August. According to the source in Ukraine's General Staff, Ukraine has lost over 40 percent of the territory it previously gained in Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks.

NATO allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to recapture territory lost in Kursk Oblast before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the Telegraph reported, hoping to gain leverage in future peace negotiations.

Addressing unconfirmed reports that upwards of 500 North Korean troops have been killed in Kursk, Singh said that the U.S. could not independently confirm the casualties.

"What we've said before is that they're in (the Kursk) region and certainly poised to engage the Ukrainians in combat. But I can't confirm those reports that there have been casualties yet."

Moscow and Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership agreement in June, pledging to provide military support to one another if either country comes under attack.

On Nov. 25, Reuters reported, citing researchers at the U.S.-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, that North Korea is expanding a key weapons production complex that assembles KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles used by Russia against Ukraine.

North Korea expands plant producing missiles used by Russia against Ukraine, Reuters reports
North Korea is expanding a key weapons production complex that assembles KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles used by Russia against Ukraine, Reuters reported on Nov.25.
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Dmytro Basmat

Senior News Editor

Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.

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