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) < > Iceland Volcano Erupts for 7th Time Since December 6 hours, 43 minutes ago To Welcome 2025, City Will Demolish Hotel Elvis Once Stayed At 7 hours, 13 minutes ago Ex-UVA Student Admits to Killing 3 Football Players 7 hours, 43 minutes ago Court Rules in Favor of Worker Fired for Eating Croquette 8 hours, 13 minutes ago Trudeau's Employment Minister Resigns Over Indigenous Claims Nov 20, 2024 3:01 PM CST Court Decision Ends Jackson Airport Control Dispute Nov 20, 2024 2:50 PM CST Trump Favors TV Personalities for Key Administration Roles Nov 20, 2024 1:45 AM CST Susan Smith Seeks Parole After 30 Years in Prison Nov 20, 2024 1:15 AM CST Work Intensifies at Controversial Olympic Sliding Center Nov 20, 2024 12:45 AM CST Authorities Seize $8.5M in Etruscan Artifacts From Illegal Dig Nov 20, 2024 12:15 AM CST Australian Tourists Hospitalized After Tainted Drinks in Laos Nov 19, 2024 2:47 PM CST Family Urged Search After Deadly Louisville Plant Explosion Nov 19, 2024 2:36 PM CST Fin Whale Washes Ashore Near Anchorage, Biologists Investigate Nov 19, 2024 2:10 PM CST US Launches New Investigations Into Ford Recalls Nov 19, 2024 3:30 AM CST Rapper NBA YoungBoy Admits Running Drug Fraud Ring Nov 19, 2024 2:30 AM CST Section of Dallas Cowboys' Roof Falls Onto Field Before Game Nov 19, 2024 1:30 AM CST Tanzania Rescue Operations Persist After Deadly Building Collapse Nov 19, 2024 12:30 AM CST CVS Health Expands Board With Strategic New Appointments Nov 18, 2024 10:00 AM CST See 4 more photos Report an error