NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed today that North Korea has deployed troops to Russia, with some already stationed near Kursk to support Russian forces against Ukraine. Rutte, who met earlier with officials from South Korea’s intelligence and defense ministries at NATO headquarters in Brussels, described North Korea’s involvement as a “significant escalation” in the conflict.

He stated that North Korea’s actions go beyond providing ammunition to Russia, as Pyongyang is now actively supporting a conflict within Europe, which he warned poses a threat to global peace.

Rutte suggested that the presence of North Korean forces in Kursk highlights a growing sense of desperation on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the NATO chief, around 600,000 Russian soldiers have been either killed or wounded since the beginning of the invasion, with Russia increasingly dependent on outside assistance to continue the war.