World / Russia US Gives Count of North Korean Troops in Russia As NATO confirms their presence in the Kursk region By Newser.AI Read our AI policy Posted Oct 28, 2024 3:25 PM CDT Copied NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speak to journalists during a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File) See 4 more photos The US has put a number on the amount of troops North Korea has sent to Russia to bolster its war against Ukraine: approximately 10,000 soldiers. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said portion of these troops have already advanced towards Ukraine. "We are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk" region, she told reporters. NATO appeared to back up those concerns by confirming the arrival of some soldiers in the Kursk border region. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized that this escalation represents a "dangerous expansion of Russia's war." The deployment underscores an intensifying collaboration between Russia and North Korea amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while not directly acknowledging the North Korean troop presence, underscored a recent joint security pact between Moscow and Pyongyang. Lavrov dismissed NATO's concerns saying, "Western military personnel long have been working in Ukraine." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) < > Megyn Kelly Endorses Trump in Fiery Pittsburgh Speech Nov 5, 2024 12:45 AM CST Nigerian President: Release 29 Kids Facing Execution Nov 5, 2024 1:45 AM CST Iranian Official Contradicts Tehran's Claim on Prisoner's Death Nov 5, 2024 8:32 AM CST Tito Jackson Buried 7 Weeks After His Death 12 hours, 33 minutes ago Dodgers Star Ohtani Undergoes Surgery Nov 5, 2024 11:00 PM CST Conor McGregor Faces Civil Suit Over 2018 Assault Allegations Nov 5, 2024 9:47 PM CST Appeals Court Allows Colorado Gun Age Law for Now 13 hours, 33 minutes ago Nintendo Profits Plummet as Switch Demand Cools Nov 5, 2024 1:44 PM CST Tyka Nelson, Prince's Sister, Dies at 64 10 hours, 33 minutes ago California Sues Norwalk Over Homeless Shelter Ban 9 hours, 33 minutes ago Jury Acquits Alabama Man in 1988 NH Murder 11 hours, 33 minutes ago Russian Rocket Successfully Launches Iranian Satellites Nov 5, 2024 9:16 AM CST Australia Confronts India Over Sikh Activist Allegations Nov 5, 2024 1:15 AM CST UN Condemns North Korea's Latest Missile Tests 8 hours, 33 minutes ago Moscow Court Rejects American's Drug Conviction Appeal Nov 5, 2024 9:40 PM CST Starmer Calls for Terror-Level Action on Smugglers Nov 5, 2024 12:15 AM CST China Challenges EU Tariffs on Electric Vehicles Nov 4, 2024 2:14 PM CST Serbian Minister Resigns After Fatal Railway Station Collapse Nov 4, 2024 2:11 PM CST See 4 more photos Report an error