▲ Vedant Patel, the State Department's deputy spokesperson, speaks during a press briefing at the department in Washington on Oct. 22, 2024. (Yonhap)

NK troops-Russia-combat

U.S. confirms N. Korean troops have begun engaging in combat operations in Russia's Kursk region

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States confirmed Tuesday that North Korean troops deployed to western Russia have begun engaging in combat operations against Ukraine.

Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, made the remarks amid growing concerns that the North's troop deployment could expand Russia's protracted war in Ukraine.

"Today, I can confirm that over 10,000 DPRK soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces," Patel told a press briefing.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

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