NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reported that Russia has sustained over 600,000 military casualties since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. The losses prompted Moscow to deploy 10,000 North Korean troops to support its forces.
“The deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk is also a sign of Putin’s growing desperation,” Rutte said. “Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war, and he is unable to sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support.”
He described the move as a “significant escalation” and a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
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Western intelligence, alongside Ukrainian and South Korean sources, tracked North Korea’s growing involvement. Ukraine first noted the presence of North Korean soldiers after a counterattack in Russian-held territory earlier this month, identifying North Korean casualties among the dead.
Reports indicate that North Korea has transported its personnel using civilian vehicles to avoid detection by Ukrainian and Western intelligence.
South Korean intelligence officials reported that North Korea plans to send additional personnel to aid Russian forces as Moscow faces persistent manpower shortfalls. North Korea has also reportedly supplied Russia with significant amounts of ammunition and missiles for use in Ukraine.
U.S. defense officials noted that the Pentagon would not impose limitations on the use of American-supplied weapons against North Korean soldiers assisting Russia. Analysts at the U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have suggested that Russia’s economic and manpower limitations are pressuring Moscow to explore unconventional methods of recruitment and sustainment for its campaign in Ukraine.
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NATO’s casualty figure aligns with recent estimates from the Pentagon and Ukrainian sources, placing Russian combat losses at over 654,000 as of early October.
Reports indicate that many of those killed or wounded come from Russian regions with large ethnic minority populations, including Bashkortostan and Tatarstan.
Tags: North Korea, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry
MARK RUTTE
NATO SECRETARY GENERAL
“The deployment of NorthKorean troops to Kursk is also a sign of Putin’s growing desperation. Over 600-thousand Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war and he is unable to sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support.”
[ryan robertson]
YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT. NATO’S NEW SECRETARY GENERAL SAYS A STAGGERING 600,000 RUSSIAN TROOPS ARE EITHER DEAD OR WOUNDED AS A RESULT OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE.
TO ADDRESS ITS GROWING NEED FOR MORE BODIES TO THROW INTO ITS MEAT WAVE ATTACKS–MOSCOW TURNED TO SOME FOREIGN FRIENDS, DEPLOYING 10-THOUSAND NORTH KOREAN TROOPS TO BOLSTER ITS RANKS.
SECRETARY-GENERAL MARK RUTTE CALLED THE MOVE A “SIGNIFICANT ESCALATION” AND A “BREACH OF U-N SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.” REPORTS SUGGEST THE NORTH KOREANS ARE ALSO ARE USING CIVILIAN VEHICLES TO CONCEAL THEIR MOVEMENTS.
THEIR PRESENCE IN THE UKRAINIAN WAR IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE KREMLIN’S INCREASED RELIANCE ON FOREIGN ALLIES TO WAGE ITS WAR.
AND IT’S ALL BEING WIDELY DOCUMENTED BY INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES IN UKRAINE, AND SOUTH KOREA.
KIEV INITIALLY IDENTIFIED NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS AMONG RUSSIAN CASUALTIES DURING AN EARLY OCTOBER COUNTERATTACK, AND SEOUL IS HIGHLIGHTING PLANS FOR FURTHER REINFORCEMENTS FROM NORTH KOREA.
IN ADDITION TO PERSONNEL, PYONGYANG IS ALSO SUPPLYING RUSSIA WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ARTILLERY AND MISSILES TO SUPPORT THE ONGOING OPERATIONS IN UKRAINE. HOWEVER, THE NORTH KOREAN HARDWARE HAS A FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL OF FAILURE RATE ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN MILITARY BLOGGERS.
MEANWHILE, ANALYSTS IN EUROPE AND THE U-S ARE POINTING TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN’S RELUCTANCE TO INITIATE ANOTHER TROOP MOBILIZATION AT HOME, OPTING INSTEAD FOR UNCONVENTIONAL RECRUITMENT MEASURES TO AVOID ANY MORE DOMESTIC UNREST.
THE PENTAGON SAYS IT WILL PLACE NO RESTRICTIONS ON AMERICAN-SUPPLIED WEAPONRY USED AGAINST NORTH KOREAN TROOPS AIDING RUSSIA. AND, AS THE U.S. INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR REPORTS, RUSSIA’S ECONOMIC AND MANPOWER CONSTRAINTS COULD PROMPT THE KREMLIN TO LEAN FURTHER ON ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF SUPPORT.
NATO’S CASUALTY ESTIMATES CLOSELY MATCH RECENT ASSESSMENTS FROM THE PENTAGON AND UKRAINE, PUTTING RUSSIAN COMBAT LOSSES AT OVER 654-thousand AS OF EARLY OCTOBER.
FOR MORE OF OUR STRAIGHT FACTS REPORTING, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.
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