North Korea reportedly delivers 1,000 missiles to Russia, 8,000 Korean troops ready for combat

The United States appeared Thursday that up to 8,000 North Korean troops are preparing to fight in Ukraine, with North Korea also raising tensions by firing an intercontinental ballistic missile just days before the American elections. Citing US intelligence, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that of the 10,000 North Korean troops Washington says have entered Russia, up to 8,000 “ They were used in the Kursk region », on the border of Ukraine.

“In the coming days”

« We don’t have it yet saw these soldiers engaged in combat against the Ukrainian forces, but we expect this to happen in the coming days “, Antony Blinken added at a press conference with US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts. Russia, which equipped North Korean soldiers with Russian uniforms, was training Korean soldiers to North” artillery, drones, basic infantry operations, including clearing the trenches, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in frontline operations “, he clarified.

According to South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Pyongyang has given more of” 1 000 bullets » to Russia. Earlier Thursday, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the Western response to this practice. “ I think the answer to this is zero, it has been zero “, he said in an interview with South Korean media. Talks between Americans and South Koreans in Washington on Thursday come as North Korea fired one of its most powerful missiles with the stated aim of ‘ strengthening its nuclear deterrent.

No “critical” test

This missile, according to Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, belongs to “ the category of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) ”, which have a range of at least 5,500 kilometers and are generally designed to carry nuclear warheads, and capable of reaching the territory of the United States. Pyongyang confirmed test “ essential ”, falls within the framework of his desire “ strengthening its nuclear forces » and led by leader Kim Jong Un.

South Korea’s military warned on Wednesday that the nuclear-armed North was preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, or even conduct a nuclear test, before the Nov. 5 election in the United States.