US says there are 8,000 North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast – AP

Robert Wood, US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, stated during a UN Security Council session on 31 October that around 8,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Source: European Pravda, citing Associated Press

Details: In his address to the Security Council meeting, which focused on "international peace and security," the US representative requested additional time to submit updated information.

Quote: "We have just received information that about 8,000 North Korean soldiers are now in Kursk Oblast. And I have a very respectful question for my Russian colleague: does Russia still maintain that there are no DPRK troops in Russia? That’s my only question and final point."

The Russian representative did not respond to this remark, and the session was subsequently adjourned.

Later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the presence of 8,000 North Korean troops during a briefing.

"We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces but we would expect that to happen in the coming days," Blinken added.

Background: 

• The latest US estimate is that North Korea has deployed approximately 10,000 troops to Russia for training and to support combat operations against Ukraine. 
• Just the day before, the Pentagon noted that a portion of the North Korean troops sent to Russia had arrived in the Kursk region.

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