It has become official that North Korean soldiers are fighting in the war against Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea have released details of the troop deployment, which they say involved North Korean soldiers in operations in the Kursk region.

The news comes from a statement by North Korean state news agency KCNA, which cited leader Kim Jong-un reporting on the troop deployment. According to the report, Pyongyang decided to send troops to Russia to support the country’s war in Ukraine based on a mutual defense agreement between the two countries, German newspaper Tagesschau reported

According to KCNA, North Korean units helped Russia recapture territories under Ukrainian control. North Korean army units participated in operations to liberate the Kursk region.

On Saturday, the Russian military leadership also acknowledged the participation of North Korean soldiers for the first time. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said in a video conference with President Vladimir Putin that North Korean units played a significant role in the liberation of the Kursk region.

According to international law, North Korea’s participation in the Russo-Ukrainian war constitutes a serious violation. Gerasimov, on the other hand, stressed that the combat deployment is in accordance with the strategic partnership treaty between the two countries, which includes the possibility of mutual military assistance in the event of an attack.

According to American, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence sources, North Korea sent about 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia last fall. South Korean intelligence estimates that the North Korean military suffered about 4,000 casualties, including wounded and dead.

In addition to soldiers, North Korea is also supplying Russia with large quantities of ammunition and weapons, including short-range missiles, self-propelled guns and multiple rocket launchers, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly accused North Korea of ​​supporting Russia not only with weapons but also with military personnel.

According to the Ukrainian leadership, previously captured soldiers are irrefutable evidence of North Korea’s participation in the Russian war against Ukraine.

The United States has now officially expressed concern about North Korea’s direct involvement in the war. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an email: “We continue to monitor North Korea’s direct military involvement in the war with grave concern. North Korea’s military involvement in Russia, as well as all reciprocal support from the Russian Federation to North Korea, must be immediately terminated.”