The House Intelligence Committee requests a report from the White House on the deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine
South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported that weapons and troops from Kim Jong Un's regime were sent to Russia. It has satellite images as proof.
South Korean evidence of North Korean presence.
North Korea's alleged involvement in the Ukraine front is of concern to the U.S. Congress. Several Western countries along with South Korea are concerned that some 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia to be deployed on the Ukrainian border.
Following the findings reported by South Korean intelligence services, which are supported by satellite images, the House Intelligence Committee has requested a detailed report from the White House to make Congress aware of the situation.
The committee's chairman, Republican Mike Turner, insisted Friday that a "red line" would be crossed if North Korean troops were sent to participate in the Russian offensive against Ukraine that began in 2022, following operations in Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014.
"These troop movements, if true, are alarming and represent an extreme escalation of the conflict in Ukraine," Turner wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden. "They require an immediate response by the United States and our NATO allies to prevent a widening of the conflict," he added.
12,000 North Korean troops in Russia
The South Korean intelligence agency said in a statement that Pyongyang has already sent an initial contingent of 1,500 soldiers to the Russian city of Vladivostok, a short distance from North Korea, for training.
From Oct. 8-13, "North Korea sent its special forces to Russia via a Russian Navy ship."
The North Korean troops will most likely be "deployed on the front line" after receiving training at different points in the Russian Far East, in Vladivostok, but also at bases located in Usurisk, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk, he added.
In total, North Korea sent "four brigades of 12,000 soldiers, including special forces, to the war in Ukraine," according to the South Korean Yonhap agency, which cites the intelligence service. The intelligence service did not confirm this number to AFP.
The Ukrainian government reacted by claiming that this shows Moscow's intention to escalate its invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga demanded an "immediate and firm reaction" from Kiev's allies.
"North Korea supports Russia's aggression against Ukraine with weapons and troops. [...] We demand an immediate and firm reaction from the Euro-Atlantic community and the world," he posted on X.
He also called on Western countries to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of its long-range weapons to attack Russia.
NATO is working to confirm suspicions
NATO said it is not in a position to confirm what was indicated by South Korean intelligence.
"Our official position is that we cannot confirm reports that North Koreans are now actively participating as soldiers in the war effort. But this, of course, could change," said Secretary-general Mark Rutte.
In Berlin, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move "shows a level of desperation on the part of Russia."
Meanwhile, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said any increased cooperation between North Korea and Russia over Ukraine is "very worrying."
China, the main supporter of North Korea, called on "all parties to work on de-escalation" to seek a "political solution" to the Ukrainian conflict.
In recent months, Moscow's forces seized numerous locations in Ukraine, mainly on the eastern front.
At the same time, Kiev continues to occupy territory on the Russian border region of Kursk, where it launched a surprise attack on August 6 aimed at weakening the Russian war machine.
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