Thousands of North Korean troops mass at Ukrainian border and will enter battle 'within days', US warns

31 October 2024, 21:35

Thousands of North Korean soldiers have massed on Ukraine’s border and are preparing to enter the country, the White House has said.

Around 8,000 North Korean soldiers have arrived on the Ukrainian border, a dramatic rise from previous predictions, when US defence secretary Lloyd Austin would only say "some" of the troops had moved toward Ukraine's border in the Kursk region

The US has estimated there are already about 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia.

Russian soldiers have been training them in "basic infantry operations, including trench clearing", said US secretary of state Antony Blinken.

"We've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days," Mr Blinken said on Thursday.

Blinken described Russia’s need for North Korean assistance as a “clear sign of weakness.”

Read more: North Korea claims to have tested new intercontinental ballistic missile

North Korea's move to tighten its relationship with Russia has raised concerns around the world about how that may expand the war and what Russian military aid will be delivered in exchange.

Amid these heightening tensions, North Korea claims to have tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The state Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Thursday's launch was carried out at the order of leader Kim Jong Un and that flight records exceeded corresponding ones registered in any previous missile launches.

North Korea confirmed the launch hours after its neighbours detected the firing of what they suspected was a new, more agile weapon targeting the mainland US.

"I affirm that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces," Mr Kim said, according to a North Korean Defence Ministry statement carried by state media.

KCNA said Mr Kim was present at the launch site and cites him as saying that the launch was "an appropriate military action" to show North Korea's resolve to respond to its enemies' moves that has threatened the country's safety.

The first launch in almost a year tested what may be a new, more agile weapon targeting the mainland US and a possible attempt to grab American attention ahead of next week's election.

The launch came as Washington warned that North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, likely to augment Russian forces and join the war.

US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett called the launch "a flagrant violation" of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that "needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilising the security situation in the region".

He said the US will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and its South Korean and Japanese allies.