"North Korea Dispatch Report, Conflicting Information Between Parties"... Refusal to Verify Facts

The Russian government avoided giving a direct response regarding the deployment of North Korean troops and expressed its intention to continue cooperation with North Korea.

On the 18th (local time), the Ukrainian Military Strategic Communication and Information Security Center (SPRAVDI) released a video showing soldiers presumed to be North Korean troops lining up to receive Russian supplies.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 21st (local time), according to TASS and other sources, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, stated at a briefing that there is "a lot of conflicting information" about reports that North Korean troops were deployed to Russia to participate in the Ukraine 'special military operation.' He said, "South Korea says one thing, and the U.S. Department of Defense says it cannot confirm such statements," adding, "The abundance of contradictory information shows how we should handle this matter."

Earlier, on the 18th, the National Intelligence Service announced that North Korea had decided to deploy troops to support Russia, with 1,500 personnel training in Russia's Far East region. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated the following day that he could not confirm the reports but expressed concern if they were true.

When asked whether North Korean troops are currently in Russia and whether they are participating in the operation, spokesperson Peskov said, "Questions about the conduct of the special military operation should be directed to the Ministry of Defense," and did not confirm the facts.

Regarding relations with North Korea, he said, "North Korea is a close neighbor and partner of Russia, and relations are developing in all fields," adding, "This cooperation is not aimed at any third country, so it should not cause concern to anyone, and we will continue to develop this cooperation."