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The United States is currently unable to confirm that North Korean military personnel are actively participating in offensive operations against Ukraine alongside Russian forces, although it is known that many North Korean soldiers have been integrated into Russian units.
This statement was made by Pentagon spokesperson General Patrick Ryder during a briefing. He was asked to comment on recent remarks by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stated that a North Korean soldier had been killed during a combat operation against Ukraine.
Ryder noted that the U.S. has no evidence that North Korean military forces are actively engaged in front-line combat operations. “We know that in many cases they have been integrated into Russian units, and we are aware of reports of North Korean soldiers being killed as a result of Ukrainian strikes on Russian positions,” he informed the press.
He also added that there is no specific information on the number of North Korean casualties. “I cannot provide an exact figure, but overall, we have not seen North Korea involved in offensive combat operations yet, although we expect this to likely occur at some point,” he concluded.
Recently, Zelenskyy predicted that Russia would deploy many North Korean soldiers to the front lines against Ukraine, who would almost certainly be used as “cannon fodder.”
It is known that North Korea and Russia have intensified their cooperation since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The two countries signed an agreement that obligates each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in case of armed aggression against one of them.
In recent months, there have been confirmed reports that North Korea has sent artillery shells and ballistic missiles to Russia, and more recently, its own troops for combat operations against Ukraine.
At the end of November, it was reported that the U.S. has information suggesting that North Korea is preparing additional weapon shipments to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine, and called on China to intervene to prevent further escalation.
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