DPRK troops remain combat-ready in Kursk region, Pentagon says
Photo: The US has not yet seen DPRK troops take part in combat against Ukraine (Getty Images)
North Korean troops remain stationed in Russia’s Kursk region, ready to engage in combat at any moment, although they have not yet participated in active hostilities, according to Ukrinform citing Sabrina Singh, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary.
"DPRK troops are still in that Kursk region," she said.
The US Department of Defense representative also noted that the United States has not observed North Korean troops directly participating in combat operations so far.
"We know that they're staged to engage in combat, and, you know, we're continuing to monitor that," she added.
Last week, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder also stated that the US Department of Defense has no evidence of North Korean forces actively participating in combat against Ukraine on Russia’s side. However, he warned that the situation could change at any time.
"We have not seen North Korean soldiers actively engaging in offensive combat operations on the front lines. Although we do expect at a certain point in time that that will very likely happen," he said.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that at the end of November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the number of DPRK troops in Russia had reached 11,000. At the same time, he warned that this figure could rise to over 100,000.
