US Secretary of State: 8,000 North Korean troops sent to Kursk… “War is expected within days.”

“Russian artillery drone trench attack training”
Government source: “Concerns about drone experience”

US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on the 31st (local time), “8,000 North Korean troops have been sent to the Kursk region in western Russia.” The photo shows Secretary Blinken speaking at a press conference at the ‘6th ROK-US Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2)’ held in Washington, USA. 2024.11.1. [워싱턴=뉴시스]
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced on the 31st of last month (local time) that approximately 8,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Kursk Oblast, a fierce battleground on the Russian mainland, and that they will be sent into battle within a few days.

Secretary Blinken announced this at a press conference immediately after the 6th ROK-US Ministerial Meeting of Foreign and Defense Affairs (2+2) held in Washington, USA. Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, “He is throwing more and more Russians into the ‘meat grinder’ he has created in Ukraine,” and added, “1,200 Russian soldiers are dying every day, but it includes North Korean troops instead. .” He criticized, “They put money in it.” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also confirmed, “If North Korean troops support or participate in combat, they could be a legitimate target of attack.” “

Secretary Austin also said, “The United States will provide key assistance, such as weapons and vehicles, to Ukraine, and will announce additional security assistance measures in the coming days.” He also said, “We will discuss with our partners, including Korea, whether we can deal with a dangerous situation where tensions are increasing. ” Last year, the Korean government already gave Ukraine 600,000 155mm artillery shells through a ‘loan and export’ to the United States This has been interpreted to mean that it could also request military aid, such as artillery shells to lend, to Korea.

Regarding the amount of weapons that North Korea has given Russia so far, National Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said, “There are millions of artillery shells, almost 10 million,” and “about 1,000 went provide missiles.”

On this day, Minister Blinken emphasized, “The North Korean military is conducting artillery, unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), and trench assault training in Russia. ” This was seen as a sign that deployment to the front line was imminent, while also suggesting that the North Korean military would play an important role in the battle.

In particular, our government is concerned about the possibility that North Korea will significantly improve its drone technology and related operational capabilities through this exercise. A government source said, “North Korea has been pursuing drone training in Pyongyang recently,” and added, “Perhaps the biggest immediate result for North Korea through the exercise is this is to gain hands-on experience of drone operations.”

Drones are considered the most prominent weapon in Ukraine’s war. North Korea unveiled a new suicide drone last August, and at the time, it was assessed as similar to the Russian ‘Lancet’ cross-wing suicide drone.