Some 4,500 N. Korean troops expected be at Russia's border with Ukraine this week: reports

▲ South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Hwang Joon-kook speaks during a session of the U.N. Security Council on Ukraine on Oct. 21, 2024, in this file image captured from U.N. Web TV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

NK troops-Ukraine

Some 4,500 N. Korean troops expected be at Russia's border with Ukraine this week: reports

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- Ukraine's United Nations Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said as many as 4,500 North Korean troops are expected to be near Ukraine's border this week to possibly fight alongside Russian forces in November, news reports showed Thursday.

Kyslytsya shared the assessment during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York on Wednesday (local time), AP reported, which was held to discuss North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine.

During the closed meeting, the Ukrainian ambassador said up to 12,000 North Koreans outfitted in Russian uniforms and equipment were being trained at five bases in eastern Russia, including at least 500 officers and three generals, according to AP and AFP.

South Korea's senior presidential official said Wednesday approximately 3,000 North Korean troops have moved to Russia's western region near the border with Ukraine, but did not specify further details on their potential roles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has neither confirmed nor denied reports of a North Korean troop deployment, while Pyongyang's vice foreign minister said, if such a deployment occurs, it would comply with international rules.

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